market research study paid

Online Focus Groups: 27 Paid Research Companies that Pay Up to $250 an Hour for Your Opinion

I recently participated in a paid focus group in San Francisco. You know, the kind with the one-way mirror on the wall.

We talked about travel habits and preferences for an hour and half, and I got paid $150 for my time and opinions. Not bad!

The whole thing was pretty quick and painless—and actually kind of interesting—which got me thinking that this could be a great side hustle . Especially if I could do it from home!

So down the rabbit hole I went, trying to find other companies that conduct paid research studies online .

And I should note before we get started that these aren’t the typical companies that pop up when you search for “online surveys.” Those companies, like Swagbucks and  InboxDollars , are legit, but pay relatively little .

The companies I was after here were the ones that pay bigger sums to make it more worth your time. I earned $100 an hour for my little focus group adventure, and you can too.

Earn $50-150/hr, with thousands of new studies added each month.

Earn an average of $75 per project, and get notified of upcoming studies you may qualify for.

Patients and caregivers can earn $120/hour while helping advance medical research.

1. User Interviews

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User Interviews facilitates in-person and online consumer conversations about products, websites, and services. The pay rates vary, but the average seems to be around $50-100 an hour.

I’ve earned $105 through the site so far, in exchange for about an hour a half.

In one of my studies, I earned a $10 Amazon gift card for completing a short online survey for bald guys! It said it should take 15 minutes, but all the questions were straight yes/no, so it probably only took 5.

User Interviews is a legit facilitator of online (and in-person) consumer research studies. Participants can get paid (generally $50-150/hr) to share their opinion and shape future products and services. While this won’t replace your day job, it can be a nice supplemental income.

• One of the best-paying survey companies I've found.
• Easy to sign-up.
• Lots of new studies added every week.
• Can be difficult to get selected.

Click here to join User Interviews .

Or check out our full User Interviews review .

Respondent is a cool service that facilitates consumer research studies online—and often pays $100+ an hour !

Once you create your account, you’ll be able to browse all the open studies you might qualify for. The research brief shares the type of person the company is looking to connect with, the expected time commitment, and pay rate .

If it looks like a fit, answer the brief screener questionnaire to throw your hat in the ring. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get selected right away—I’ve been selected for 5 studies out of 50 screeners so far.

While there are some “general population” studies, the best-paying opportunities are for industry professionals— up to $750 an hour!

The company takes a 5% processing fee, but the rest of the funds you earn will hit your PayPal account within 8-10 days of your study. (I’ve earned $395 through Respondent so far! )

Click here to join Respondent .

Read our full Respondent.io review here .

(Since recording, I’ve done a couple more studies.)

A leading source for medical research, Rare Patient Voice pays patients and caregivers $120 an hour. You can browse a full list of available studies on their site—nearly all of which are phone or webcam interviews.

If you suffer from any sort of medical condition (even if it’s not super rare), this one is worth a look.

The site is open to residents of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

While most Survey Junkie earning opportunities don’t pay much, you’ll occasionally get emails for better-paying focus group and product testing studies.

These admittedly are pretty rare, but pay up to $75.

Still, power users of the regular Survey Junkie site/app report earning up to $40 a month. 

Super popular survey app that rewards you for sharing your opinion.

The site boasts more than 20 million members and pays out more than $1 million every month.

Click here to sign up for Survey Junkie .

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Another well-established market research company is Product Report Card . They offer paid surveys, product testing and review gigs, and online focus groups.

The best-paying work is for in-home product tests and remote interviews and focus groups — often in the $75-$150/hour range.

Product Report Card will also give you a $5 welcome bonus for completing a short survey after you join. There’s a $25 minimum to cash-out.

Lightster is a unique money making app , where you get matched with brands and researchers based on your profile.

To get started, you’ll add some demographic information about yourself and answer some questions about your experience and interests.

After that, you may see some questions pop up in the app. Answer those to qualify for paid research conversations that pay $1 per minute.

I got invited to my first half hour session within a couple weeks of downloading the app, and got paid (via Amazon gift card) right away.

I was excited to discover PingPong as a newcomer to the online market research field. The service specializes in user experience testing for apps and websites, with pay rates ranging between €10 and €100 an hour. (Roughly $11-110.)

You might be curious—with the rates in euros—if this one is open to non-Europeans. PingPong let me join as an American and says they welcome testers from all over the world.

Since joining, I’ve received invites to several studies but haven’t been able to book one just yet.

Fieldwork was the company that hosted the San Francisco focus group I participated in. They have locations throughout the US:

• Los Angeles (Orange County)
• Minneapolis
• San Francisco

Compensation starts at $75 for participating in focus groups, which usually last between 1-2 hours. The drawback was I got paid in Visa gift cards instead of cash, so I went to the grocery store and bought Amazon gift cards with them instead.

Maven is a unique on-demand consulting platform. You can set your own rates to participate in one-off expert interviews, paid market research studies, and online industry surveys.

(Experts can also get hired for longer-term consulting projects, as well.)

Maven has been around since 2008, and routinely has projects paying anywhere from $25-$500+. 

Experience Dynamics specializes in user experience and user interface testing (UX and UI). Corporate clients pay Experience Dynamics to help “make their users smile,” and they turn around and pay people like you for honest feedback on website designs and software applications.

According to the site, they recruit testers worldwide with all levels of technology experience. Most studies pay between $50-$150 dollars.

Experience Dynamics also facilitates:

• Field Studies, 1-2 hour interviews at your home or work
• Diary Studies, where you record your thoughts over 1-2 weeks
• Phone Interviews
• Online Focus Groups
• Online Surveys

American Consumer Opinion is another market research company where you can qualify for several surveys a year.

Annoyingly, they insist on using their own “virtual currency” point system. Still, you can earn up to $50 worth of points for longer market research surveys.

There’s a $10 minimum to cash out and you can deposit your earnings directly into PayPal. To give you an incentive to complete the low-paying screener surveys, American Consumer Opinion will add your name to a monthly $50 drawing .

On L&E Opinions , I found nationwide studies paying $125-250.  The company has been in business over 30 years and pays out millions of dollars in research incentives every year.

FocusGroups.org is an aggregator service that lists focus groups and paid research opportunities around the country. When I registered, I saw online focus group options that paid anywhere from $75 to $625!

Topics included pets, hygiene, cooking, luxury cars, and lots more. There are some handy filters you can use to select only online or “National” studies.

Another site that pulls in lots of different paid studies, FindFocusGroups.com was a great find. 

At press time, they had the best-looking interface of most of these sites, but hadn’t been updated in several months.

When I checked, the compensation for these ranged from $50 to $200.

Through “compensated interviews” and focus groups, SIS helps brands figure out direction for their products. You’ll have to register for their database to get notified about upcoming paid studies.

I found rates from $25-200, depending on the time required and complexity of the topic. SIS recruits participants from all around the world, not just the US.

Similar to FindFocusGroups above, SurveyFeeds isn’t a market research company itself, but instead a promising “feed” of paid survey opportunities.

I found their Facebook page updated more frequently than their website, so it might be worthwhile to check there and see what you might qualify for.

The online studies I saw ranged from $75 to $300 .

Recruit and Field is one of the longest-running national market research companies. Since 1977, they’ve built up a participant database of over 300,000 consumers, business leaders, and medical professionals.

The company works with lots of name-brand clients and typically pays $100-275 for in-person and online surveys.

I recently earned $250 for a 1-hour call about business banking!

FocusGroup.com offers nationwide paid research opportunities. (The site is powered by Sago, a leading market research company.)

Be on the lookout for the “National” studies that pay between $75 and $200 . These are scheduled over the phone or webcam so you can take the calls from anywhere at times that are convenient to you.

It took a while, but I eventually earned $115 for an online study related to a well-known Seattle-area company.

The next one I did was an hour-long online focus group on credit cards that paid $100.

Other studies I saw were  related to cars, technology, and banking.

I receive a few email notifications every month with studies. Those range from around $2 for 20-minute surveys, up to $150 for 90-minute in-person or online focus groups.

Check out my full FocusGroup.com review to learn more.

When I checked out Field Voices , I found a couple available studies to apply for. One was a neighborhood improvement interview that paid $150 for one hour, and the other was a group workshop on snacking habits that paid $300!

This firm works directly with companies as well, which means they’re not just pulling together lists of other research projects.

Consumers, medical professionals, and executives are in demand for Probe Market Research’s panels. Focus groups pay between $50 and $400, and you can often participate online or over the phone.

Major brands enlist Probe to conduct online surveys, mystery shopping gigs , mock juries, product trials, and more .

The popular and well-rated dscout app connects you with “engaging research missions.” Through those, you can get paid to share your feedback on a product or service.

Typical studies pay anywhere from $2 to $100 , paid out via PayPal. The biggest complaints from users are that the often in-depth screener surveys are unpaid.

Less of a market research firm and more of a consulting marketplace, GLG Insights aims to match you up with their clients looking for industry-specific expertise. Request to become a “Council Member” to get notified when relevant paid studies are available.

On GLG, you’ll be asked to connect your LinkedIn profile and upload a resume (or link to an online resume) to verify your career credentials. You can also name your own consulting rate — usually $100-150 and up .

After that, I answered a series of ethics questions based on GLG’s terms and conditions.

Since 2007, Zintro has been connecting researchers with industry experts. According to the site, the vast majority Zintro’s consulting and online focus groups pay between $150 and $300 per hour.

Popular industries include:

• Software and tech
• Banking and finance
• Healthcare and insurance
• E-commerce and retail
• Travel and hospitality
• and lots more

It’s free to set up your expert profile and start to get invited for calls.

WatchLab has an obnoxiously inadequate website, but they claim to facilitate all sorts of focus groups, usability tests, interviews, mock juries, and more.

The pay varies depending on the research, and may be in the form of gift cards or cash. I saw ranges from $100 to $175 for 1-2 hour focus groups. WatchLab has locations in San Francisco and Chicago, as well as online options.

For in-person focus groups, you get paid on the spot — online may take 4-6 weeks.

Mindswarms is a unique video consumer research platform. They’ll pay you $50 via PayPal to answer 10 questions about a product or service.

These studies normally take around 10 minutes and can be recorded via your webcam or smartphone, but competition to get selected can be fierce.

To create your account you’ll need to record a 60-second video about one of your passions. Or you can do this through the Mindswarms app on iOS or Android .

Earn $50-150 for online focus groups and studies. While the website doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence, 20|20 Panel has been around for over 30 years.

I found several online focus groups paying $50-200 on Focus Insite . The company popped up in my Instagram feed, a signal they’re actively recruiting new participants.

You can join their panel database as a medical, technical, or business professional, or just as a general consumer. Alternatively, you can apply directly to the available market research studies listed.

The companies listed above certainly aren’t the only research companies around, and for this side hustle, it makes sense to join as many firms as you’re comfortable with.

That way, you’re presented with all the opportunities available, not just the projects managed by one company.

Here are a few more to consider:

• Prolific  — When academic and research institutions need opinions from the general population, they turn to Prolific. The pay is a bit lower — often in the $8-15/hr range — but in my Prolific review , I found plenty of quick and easy surveys available, and you can cash out to PayPal.
• Ascendency Research — On average, studies pay $60-350. Many are local to the Twin Cities, MN, but they have some national studies, too.
• Elliott Benson — Conducting paid market research since 1995.
• PRC Market Research — You can browse upcoming projects (and their pay rate) before registering. Most studies pay $100-300/hour.
• NewtonX — Strictly for industry professionals to share their insight and get paid.
• UserTesting – Earn $10 for completing 20-minute online user tests of websites, apps, shopping portals, and more. This is pretty fun but you have to be fast because these tests get snatched up quickly.
• Pulse Labs – Earn up to $100 a week providing video feedback on products.
• Intellizoom – Get paid an average of $10 testing and reviewing websites.
• UserBrain – Receive new websites to test every week, and earn $5 for each 5-15 minute test.
• Google User Experience – Google pays gift cards for feedback on their products.
• Nelson Recruiting — Nationwide market research company established in 1980.
• Marketade – Specializes in remote usability testing, market validation, navigation research, and more.
• Engage Studies – Earn as much as $100 per focus group through this research company.
• Tell Us Your Opinion – Mainly operating in Tulsa but may have online/phone opportunities as well.
• Adler Weiner Research – In-person studies in Chicagoland and Southern California, plus remote studies nationwide.
• Advanced Focus – Hosts market research panels and focus groups in New York City.
• Nichols Research – Get paid to participate in in-person focus groups, primarily in Northern California.
• Herron Associates — In-person studies in Indianapolis, IN and Tampa, FL.
• PrizeRebel – Earn $10-12 an hour doing surveys or completing other tasks. (Just avoid the low-paying ones.)

As with any side hustle, there’s an opportunity cost. As in, what else could you be doing with your time?

I encourage you to check out our monster list of side hustle ideas , but here are a few that are similarly flexible.

Become a Bookkeeper

One of the first jobs that many companies hire out is “someone to keep the books.” If you have experience in this field, or just love numbers, becoming a remote bookkeeper could way to make extra money.

Most businesses don’t need a full-time bookkeeper so they’re open to hiring someone part-time. Most virtual bookkeepers charge $100-300 per client per month.

Network with business owners locally or online and let them know about your service. It might make sense to check out this  free training on how to start a remote bookkeeping business .

Alternative Investments

If you’re after passive income , you might consider adding some alternative investments .

For example,  Fundrise  allows you to invest in professionally-vetted commercial real estate. This spreads your risk around with properties in multiple geographical locations–and minimums as low as $10 .

Disclosure: I’ve been a Fundrise investor since 2015, and earn a commission when you join through my referral link. Opinions are my own.

Resell Furniture Returns

Reselling furniture returns is a unique low-risk side hustle .

How it works is you join Sharetown as a local “reverse logistics” rep. Sharetown partners with direct-to-consumer mattress and furniture brands to handle their return requests.

When customers decide they don’t want to keep the item, you’ll get dispatched to go pick it up. After that, you’ll:

• clean it up
• photograph it
• list it for resale on sites like Facebook Marketplace

The Sharetown reps I’ve connected with target $150-250 per flip — and, importantly — you don’t have to pay Sharetown for the inventory until the item sells.

Check out my full Sharetown review to learn more.

Sharetown reps make money by reselling gently-used furniture and bed-in-a-box mattresses. Top reps earn $4000+ per month.

• Low startup costs
• Great earning power
• No hunting for inventory
• Requires a truck or SUV
• Bulky items to store
• Not available in all areas

Mobile Notary Service

Becoming a mobile notary loan signing agent is one of the most popular gigs among the Side Hustle Nation community. The flexible, part-time side hustle involves walking new homeowners through their stack of mortgage documents.

Appointments typically take around an hour and pay $75-150.

One big drawback to focus groups or online surveys is you’re limited in how much you can earn. It’s a great side hustle, but it’ll never be a full-time income.

Focus groups or paid research studies won’t pay your mortgage, but one or two a month will definitely help build your side hustle snowball .

Have you had any success in landing paid focus group studies? What do you think of this little supplemental side hustle?

Let me know in the comments below!

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Is there such thing as an online focus group?

Yes! Several companies facilitate online consumer research focus groups, which is great because that means you can earn money from the comfort of your home or office. Check out our full list to learn more.

How much do focus groups pay?

The pay for focus groups depends on how long the session lasts. Most commonly, you’ll find rates average around $100 an hour.

Where can I find legit paid focus groups?

Companies like Respondent, Fieldwork, and FocusGroup.com are all legit facilitators of paid focus groups. Or, for the best results, you might try an aggregator service like FindFocusGroups.com, which pools together focus group opportunities from several sources. Be sure to check the list of providers on Side Hustle Nation as well.

How do online focus groups work?

Online focus groups work either via conference call or more commonly, through a group video chat to more closely mimic the in-person experience. A moderator will lead the group discussion and participants can chime in through their webcam and computer microphone or phone line.

********* Stock photo  by Akhenaton Images via Shutterstock

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About the Author

Nick Loper is a side hustle expert who loves helping people earn more money and start businesses they care about. He hosts the award-winning Side Hustle Show, where he's interviewed over 500 successful entrepreneurs, and is the bestselling author of Buy Buttons , The Side Hustle , and $1,000 100 Ways .

His work has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Forbes, TIME, Newsweek, Business Insider, MSN, Yahoo Finance, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Financial Times, Bankrate, Hubspot, Ahrefs, Shopify, Investopedia, VICE, Vox, Mashable, ChooseFI, Bigger Pockets, The Penny Hoarder, GoBankingRates, and more.

58 thoughts on “Online Focus Groups: 27 Paid Research Companies that Pay Up to $250 an Hour for Your Opinion”

Nice job, Nick! I have only ever been able to score low paying “mystery shopper” gigs. I get a free meal and $15 or $20 for my trouble. It usually takes about an hour, so am making $15 – $20 per hour. I have repeatedly mystery shopped a “Roy Rogers” restaurant that is on the NYS thruway. Almost every time I have had to travel to or from my daughter’s college campus I have been able to get a free meal, $10 or $15, and a portion of my tolls paid. I wouldn’t make the effort except that I am already driving by and there is a good chance that I would need a bathroom break anyway. Everybody wins. :>) I will be checking on a couple of the sites you provided to see if there is anything I qualify for.

Thanks Kevin. I’ve been half-heartedly attempting to find a mystery shopping expert to school me on how it really works :)

Hi Nick – If you are still reading these comments, I hope you will remove User Interviews from your list. After reading your article, I applied with them and was excited at first, but they have a serious flaw. They do not screen what the companies post for the surveys. First you have to take a questionnaire to see if you will be selected for the survey. Time after time you spend time answering the flawed questionnaire, and then not being selected, probably because of being forced to complete an answer that is not correct. Here’s an example that I just sent to Tabitha at User Interviews:

“I was applying for the Medical Injectibles survey, and the first several questions went well. Then there was the question “Do you care for a child with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis?” with the options of yes or no. I checked no, and I cannot imagine there are vast numbers of people who would have been able to check yes.

The next question was required, and it asked for the age of the person I care for, and had a box, also required, asking for the required medications.

Why was I prompted with that question when I had answered no?”

So that was yet another questionnaire that was flawed that completely wasted my time because I could not proceed. I have asked them to remove me from all further communication as I want nothing to do with them anymore, and I honestly don’t think you should be recommending them.

Hmm sorry for the trouble, Balinda. I agree, their conditional logic on the screener surveys could be better — or they could just advance to a “thanks but you’re not a fit” page. When those types of funky follow-up questions happen for me, I just back out and go back to the list since it’s clear I’m not going to qualify.

Nick, this list is AWESOME! I’ve been using User Interviews for about a month and a half and it seems like I hardly ever get selected for any of the surveys. In fact, I’ve only been selected for 1 so far (which literally took 10 minutes and I got a $30 Amazon gift card) and the second one I got approved for, by the time I got around to actually confirming my spot that evening, it was already fully booked up! I’m wondering with all the different options available if it would be feasible to make some decent side money – assuming the time commitment doesn’t get overwhelming. I’m gonna dig into this a little I think and see what I can come up with.

Hey Kyle, I hope you found some good “side jobs.” You mentioned that you used user interviews and only got 1 job. I’m so surprised by that. I have been using them for a few months and I have made a good bit of money. I had a 20 minute telephone survey and was paid $150! I had another that was in person. They came to my apt (they originally said to see my wardrobe in closet, but never did) they interviewed me on camera for about 10-15 minutes and then we went to a clothing store! They asked me if I liked the store, clothes, etc. In all I was with them about an hour. I got $350! I could have made another $100 for doing “homework,” but I was too busy. That’s just 2 of jobs I had from them. Anyway, I just wanted you to know, bcuz you should keep trying with them. I plan on hitting all these new ones, thanks to Nick! Good Luck!

It’s funny you bring this topic up. I LITERALLY started signing up for focus groups last Monday (going on two weeks) and I’ve already made $650. Most have came from respondent. I also signed up for the Reddit r/paidstudy group as well as the cool work ideas.com FB which posts multiple studies a day. I’m loving it so far!

Hi Nick, I’ve been using ACOP for a few years now it does take a long time to gather up money. I usually wait till I get up around $50 or so to cash in. The problem I find is it takes two to three months for it to show up in my Pay Pal account, very slow turn around.

Nick, I’ve been doing these for several years. I probably average about $1,000 per year doing these. This a great comprehensive list!

I tried Mindswarms. I had no trouble creating a profile video (though it really does not flatter me, nor had I trouble applying for studies. However, I have been on there for over a month, and I have been rejected for every. Single. Study. Besides that, they do not ever bother telling me, or giving me helpful suggestions. Their FAQ section is so useless as to be counterproductive. And I suspect that my mind and my interests are not average enough to make Mindswarms (or online studies/surveys in general) worth my while.

Here is a good rule of thumb: if you prefer the musical works of Vasily Kalinnikov (or just know who Vasily Kalinnikov was) over “Lady” Gaga, do not bother with surveys. Only the most average individuals with the most average minds can succeed with this rubbish. Or so my experiences would indicate.

Actually, the opposite is true. just regular surveys do kind of suck. However, the focus groups and interviews and so forth, all the ones that I’ve actually gotten into have been because I’m weird or different. That’s why so many people get declined. They look for people who don’t conform, mostly because they’re looking for new and innovative ideas. Why would you research the monotonous and mundane?

Thanks so much for the information. I signed up on Respondent today and have a 71% match on 1 survey. We’ll see how it goes.

I just tried to sign up with Respondent, and probably I’m the only one in the world with this problem of not having any social media sites. They want to verify your work on LinkedIn or your FB profile. I don’t have a FB account nor do I have a LinkedIn account. I know, I must be living in a cave, but the work I do does not allow me to use social media. What to do? I guess Respondent is out. Bummer.

This is pretty much the same for me too, Shari. Even if I had an account on social media I would only have my family and close friends on it. I wouldn’t want to give some site access. I also ran into one (can’t remember the name) where they wanted you to upload a video of yourself in order to get the surveys. I am also not comfortable with that. I’ve signed up with all that was listed above. We’ll see how it goes. Good luck to you!

Since I haven’t seen it noted in the comments or main blog anywhere I just wanted to put it out there that technically if you make over $600 with any single company like this they are supposed to issue a 1099 for your payouts. Normally if you accumulate that much over a year they may not bother BUT I was lucky enough to get into a study that paid $875 which immediately put me over that threshold. So then they issued a 1099 for all my earnings from them in that year. That hurt at tax time. This year I’m going to spread it out over as many companies as I can to hopefull get a lot but no single one over $600. And if you are lucky enough to get into a single high paying study, keep the tax implication in mind.

Very nice blog post. Thanks for sharing. On respondent I made $30 today. Not bad!

Thanks Nick, this list is AWESOME! I’ve been doing surveys and focus groups for about a year. I’ve had some great paying, easy jobs. I’ve also spent, what felt like like forever, time trying to qualify for them to no avail. However, from my experience, I can definitely say not to give up! Surveys are time consuming with little pay, for the most part. Focus groups, interviews, etc., is where the money is! I have been looking for more sites and you just gave me a bunch! I am gonna try them all! Keep the info coming! Thanks again!

I’m wondering if the earning need to be claimed on our taxes? Is there a record that we are being paid? Do these companies ask for any personal information? Thanks

Try Jackson/Adept in Los Angeles. They have a Beverly Hills and Encino location.

Here are Metro Detroit Focus Groups and my reviews of them

Morpace Inc. 31700 Middlebelt Road Suite 200 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Phone: (248) 737-5300 http://www.morpace.com Pays $80-$250 Focus Group Surveys (In Person). If they over fill the group which happened to me on one occassion then you get paid instantly without doing the survey. They pay by check or cash after the 1-2 hour in person survey. They offer surveys 1-2 times a year.

Shifrin Hayworth 26400 Lahser Rd #430, Southfield, MI 48033 Phone: (248) 223-0020 https://www.shifrin-hayworth.com/ Pays $50-$300 Focus Group Surveys (In Person). They pay by check or cash in person after the 1-2 hour survey. They offer surveys about 1-2 times a year.

I recently learned that you can only participate in 1 survey every 6 months which is why after being asked if you’ve done one recently you get disqualified.

I just did a study for them last week. They promised a $200 virtual gift card within 48 hours but it’s been a week and still nothing. They’ve stopped answering my emails and I can’t find a phone number for them, which seems pretty shady.

Did they ever get back to you/pay you?

So I have had really good luck with a lot of these companies you listed. I am a stay at home mom have been looking into all this and actively participating for about 6 weeks and made over 3000 dollars I have made 630 dollars on users interviews, 585 on respondents, 310 on user testing, 270 on validately usability studies , 250 on 20/20 panel, about 140 on intellizoom/ what users do Usability studies, 90 dollars on TrymyUI, and 50 on ping pong research. I have also made 375 dolars from focus point global. plus more companies that i got under 20 each from so there is money to be made here if you invest the time. I have done one on one studies with a web cam, phone interviews, product testing (shampoos, and even new cereal), online diary studies (usually about things you eat), and lots of usability studies. the key is knowing how to answer the screener questions. Thank you so much for your list I am going to check out the companies I have not uses yet

Whoa that’s awesome Casondra – thanks for sharing!

Hi Nick-I just found this post and thank you for “heads up”… I’m writing to share with you two top performers here in Seattle for in-person focus groups. In-Sight Space and Fieldwork / Seattle.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a few gigs with each of these company’s who conduct only focus groups. Most of the time the pay is cash on the spot and the groups range from 45 minutes to 2 hours. These two company’s have frequent remarkably high-paying gigs. It’s fairly common to attend a 90 minute focus group that pays anywhere from 150.00 – 350.00. On occasion I’ve landed one of their mock jury groups, sometimes held at one of Seattle’s finest hotels and lasts close to 8 hours. These mock jury groups have paid me between 300.00 to 550.00 for the gig and always provide a catered breakfast and lunch. Again, thanks for sharing your information and I hope you’re able to use my information and experience to help others.

Sincerely, Jason B.

Nice, Jason — thanks for sharing!

I’m registered with two companies for focus group and mock jury participation. I’ve done both and found them enjoyable and worthwhile. Usually payment was cash. One time it was a VISA gift card. The mock juries required more hours than the focus groups. One was Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Saturday evening. My experience has been food and beverages were provided when the event was more than 3 hours.

Participants were usually limited to one event in 6 months.

I’ve seen a large dropoff in opportunities since I reached a certain age. Sigh.

Very occasionally the local newspaper has a classified ad for focus group participants.

I need the mock jury site

Ok…I see several people are interested in Mystery Shopping so I thought I’d share a little info. I have done a lot of mystery shopping in the past and love it. Not amazing money but interesting and I enjoyed it. So…here are a few sites to start with…I hope this is OK…I see a few people said they would send information, but a lot of others requested info and I don’t know if they got what they needed. I hope this helps. So…first… this is the official website of the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association…it has a ton of good info and resources https://www.mspa-global.org/index.html Work available always depends on the type of job you are interested in and where you are located so the best companies to work with will vary for different people. Here are some other resources that may help… https://www.mysteryshopperjobfinder.com/members/resources/mspa-interview/ https://www.mysteryshopforum.com/ https://www.mysteryshoppermagazine.com/?source=forum-top-discussions and last but not least… https://www.shadowshopper.com Shadow Shopper…the first thing that pops up when you google Shadow Shopper will be scam alerts. I’m here to tell you it is not a scam. I have used them for years off and on. They do have a fee option, and to get anywhere, you probably will want to use it at least for a short time. But a lot of job boards charge a small fee. Basically it is where companies post work that they need to get done and shoppers go to find work. It’s a great way to see what is available in your area and skill set and interest and sign up with those companies offering that work. You can go out on your own and start just looking into shopping sites, but that sign up processing can be lengthy and if you pick one that doesn’t offer work in your area or jobs you want, you have wasted time and effort. Once you sign up with a few companies that you’ve found on Shadow Shopper, move on until you want to look for more. No need to keep your subscription if you have the work your want. Just my suggestion, but it has landed me several really good opportunities. One lasted years and was around made me around $2000/yr. Oh…and if you are wanting a list of companies…go here… it’s a tedious process to choose, but it’s an option… https://www.mysteryshopforum.com/companies/ Good luck and enjoy :)

Thank you Anna!

I’ve used Focus Pointe Global and Schlesinger in the Boston area for years. I’ve made really good money with them ($75-200 per session). People seem to over-estimate how difficult this all is. Sign up in the database, fill out a survey if you get an e-mail, if you pre-qualify for a study they call you to screen you again, you either qualify or you don’t on that phone call. If you’re picked, you go to their office and sit with the other people picked and just give your opinion for about 90 minutes. The hardest part for me is fighting traffic to get to the office in the city. These focus groups have been a lifesaver for me in periods of unemployment.

Will you get called every week about a survey? No, you definitely won’t, maybe not every month either. But if you sign up with 5-10 companies your chances of getting picked go up. And I agree that sites like Swagbucks are more or less a waste of time. It’s very small money.

Everyone is asking: How do I join? You have to go to the companies website and sign up for the panel (“Join the Panel”) and then wait. Also, the bigger companies post surveys on their Facebook pages so sign up for their notifications.

I do the best with Respondent, User Interviews and UTest.com. Also check out Affectiva’s job listings if you’re in the Boston area. I’ve made a lot helping to test out their automotive AI.

I have been doing focus groups online for prob 3 years or so. I have done a lot of them with watchlab and user interviews. Also accelerant research is a good one. Field work is another I’ve done them with. I’m sure there is more that I’ve used but i gotta tell u that these have been a life saver for me at times. I most recently did one that paid $400 which is the most I’ve made. I am signed up and in the databases of all that u listed plus a few others like accelerant research. Oh yeah another great place is Elliot Benson research.

Thanks for sharing Shelley!

you might try Mturk if you money to pay…

Great job on this article! I’ve been doing focus groups for many years. Probably made about $2,000 or so altogether.

I’d also recommend instapanel. I’ve been using them for several years to complete video surveys. They pay $20 for about 5-10 minutes of work. Here’s a link: https://instapanel.com/ .

I work for one of the market research companies that hire these focus group facilities/recruiters to get us the research we need. For in person focus groups (in facility) you can expect to get paid around $100 per hour, and more expensive if you’re in a specialty group (certain ailments, professionals such as tech). For online focus groups they run around $75 per hour.

If you want to know the panels to join around your area to join focus groups, I’d recommend going on Green Book (for research) and search on recruiters or facility around your neighborhood. This is where researchers go to find panels to do research with and you’ll get more opportunities with the facilities/recruiters there.

I don’t recommend online surveys bc you might terminate out of many surveys before you complete one and they won’t pay you more than $5 for one, and that’s on the rare end. Hope this helps!

Appreciate the insight — thanks Michelle!

I love love love all the great information I just obtained by reading your blog. OMG ! If anyone has any leads for Indiana specifically please let me know. I know of Herron Associates does a lot of research focus groups. Just go to their website and sign up. Ive done a few for them in the past and made anywhere from $50-150 for about an hour or so in person focus group. I think those are great and very interesting. If anyone wants to contact me to give me some tips on the mystery shopping I’d greatly appreciate it. TIA ( Thanks in Advance) Carrie

Thanks a bunch for the informative post! I signed up for several of the ones you have on this list and already got selected for a study. Just curious – most of the prescreen questions ask if you’ve recently participated in a study. If you have (I’ll fall into this bucket once I complete the study I just got picked for), does that greatly reduce your chances of being selected for another one?

Hi, are any of these open to people under 18?

All clinical trials are for ages 18-99.

Amalia, I apologize. I read your question to quickly & transposed the numbers. I thought you said 81.I’m rarely asked to prove my age, but they may have some way of checking. Product reviews are open to 16+, I believe. I’ve never had to show my ID online, only when I do things in person. Obviously medical care you’d show your ID.

Withpower.com is a great website to checkout medical trials. There are all sorts & bonus if you need medical care & don’t have the money to pay for it. Some just monitor or interview you…all the way up to getting medicated treatment for your condition. I even saw dental work on there.

Every clinical research compensated me for my time & travel. It’s always paid out very well for me & it’s definitely worth the time. I got $365 for downloading an app on my phone that I recorded how long I slept the night before.They sent a little survey with 4 questions every day to the app & I told them what time I went to bed, did I wake up during the night, how long did it take me to get back to sleep, and what time I woke up. I got paid in intervals at week 2, 6, 10, & 14. Super easy money.

I’m on #4 of this list now. User interviews has been fair to me. I’ve seen product reviews, online, and focus groups on there. If they let you know that you are qualified, act quickly!

Clinical research & focus groups are my favorite. I used to like doing product reviews & I still do. But once you really start getting into it, the rewards get better & better. Thank you so much, Nick. Yes, I referred you when signing up. You deserve it.

Hi Nick, this is a great job.

Many of these websites do not authorize participants from Nigeria and Africa. They have country-based restrictions. It sucks.

I have a master’s degree in business administration. I have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. I have a postgraduate diploma in economics, a postgraduate diploma in education and a professional diploma in early childhood education. I have a CEFR Level C1 in IELTS exam. I have done some surveys in my country, Nigeria and I performed well.

What survey sites do you recommend that do not have country-based restrictions? I am really curious Nick.

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22 Best Places to Find Paid Research Studies (High Paying)

Last updated August 8, 2024 By Dylan Houlihan 0

Note: We may earn a commission from affiliate links on this page. These do not affect our ratings or recommendations.

Looking to level up your survey earnings and step into the world of paid research studies?

If so, you came to the right place.

Surveys are great to start out with, but doing 1-on-1 interviews and focus groups can be much more fulfilling and a higher paying, so it's worth trying out.

Below, you'll find some of the best platforms (sites and apps) to find paid research studies online and near you.

Featured Paid Study Platforms

Featured platforms are are selected based on financial incentives like affiliate partnerships and sponsorships. They help keep Swift Salary free. Thanks for your support!

User Interviews

User Interviews is a crowdsourcing platform that connects researchers with paid study participants. Founded in 2015, the platform supports a variety of study formats (in-person, online, etc.) and types (focus groups, 1-on-1, etc.), and has been used by companies like Adobe, Spotify, Amazon, and more.

TestingTime

TestingTime is a crowdtesting platform that connects businesses and researchers with individuals looking to participate in paid user tests, interviews, focus groups, diary studies, and more. Founded in Switzerland in 2015, TestingTime is now part of the Norstat Group, and claims to pay over €1M per year to its pool of over 940k testers.

Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is a survey platform that rewards users for sharing their opinions. Founded in 2005, the platform is quite well-known in the survey space and is home to thousands of survey takers earning extra cash every month.

What Are Paid Research Studies?

The criteria a site or app has to meet to make it onto this roundup is that it must either have:

• Paid research interviews (1-on-1 interviews where you get paid to talk with a researcher face to face or over the phone)
• Paid focus groups (group interviews where you get paid to talk to researchers as part of a group)

These types of research participation opportunities typically pay a lot more than regular online surveys, questionnaires, and polls, so it makes sense to give them their own breakdown.

That said, they're not all perfect…

Pros and Cons of Participating in Research Studies

• They pay well. I've done research, participated in these, and talked to others who've participated in them, and the hourly rates you can earn from paid research studies is quite high. You're typically looking at $50-$200+ per hour for your participation.
• Fewer disqualifications. To qualify for a paid research study, you'll typically need to answer some screener questions, but these are usually short and won't take more than 5 or so minutes. From there, once you're qualified, you're in. Unless the study is cancelled (which can happen), you're almost guaranteed to make some money once you set up your interview date. No more annoying survey disqualifications 30 minutes into a questionnaire.
• Chance to make a real difference. When answering online surveys, it's hard to tell if your contributions are really making a difference. With research interviews and focus groups, you'll feel a lot more involved and your opinions feel more valued. You'll most likely meet some interesting people and learn new things along the way as well.
• The earnings aren't consistent. This is the big downside with paid research studies. While they pay really well, you most likely aren't going to be able to make a full-time income out of them. Researchers are looking for very specific people the majority of the time, so you'll have to be patient.
• You've got to be comfortable in-person, on camera, or on the phone. Some research studies take place via webcam, others take place in person, and some are done over the phone. If you're not comfortable with any of those, these types of studies aren't going to be for you.
• You'll need a proper schedule. Answering surveys from your phone can be done almost any time and anywhere. But, with research studies, you'll typically need to book in a specific time slot for your interview. Many studies are at least thirty minutes to an hour long.

Top Sites and Apps for Finding Paid Research Studies Online and Near You

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Prolific is a crowdsourcing platform that connects researchers with paid study participants. Supported study formats include surveys, video interviews, diary studies, and more. Founded in 2014, the platform claims to be home to over 120k participants and 30k researchers.

Chicago Booth CDR

Chicago Booth CDR (Center for Decision Research) is a crowdsourcing platform for behavioral science studies and research. Here, participants from around the world can get paid to take part in studies that help researchers better understand human interaction, thinking, feelings, and more. The CDR has been conducting this type of research since 1977.

IntelliZoom

IntelliZoom is a user experience (UX) research platform where panelists can get paid to give feedback on various companies' websites, apps, and other digital products via paid studies. Founded in 2007, the platform claims to have over 1.2M panelists and over 400 customers.

Respondent is a crowdsourcing platform that connects researchers with high-quality study participants from around the globe. The participants -- who earn money for taking part in studies -- are fully vetted and include industry professionals and general consumers.

L&E Opinions

L&E Opinions is a rewards platform where regular people and working professionals can get paid for sharing their opinions and expertise. Owned by L&E Research (a market research company founded in 1984) the platform claims to have over 1.6M panel members and over $8.8M in yearly payouts.

FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com is a rewards platform where members can get paid to participate in online surveys, research interviews, focus groups, and more. Founded in 2002, the platform claims to have paid out over $65M in a single year.

dscout is both a crowdsourcing marketplace and a rewards platform. Researchers can use it to conduct studies while Scouts can join and make money sharing their insights and experiences. The types of research conducted on dscout can include diary studies, photo/video responses, usability tests, and much more.

Testable Minds

Testable Minds is a crowdsourcing platform that connects participants with researchers conducting psychological and behavioral experiments and scientific studies. Founded in 2015, the platform claims to have 12k+ researchers and 85k+ participants.

UserCrowd is a crowdtesting platform where testers can get paid to provide feedback on products, websites, and applications via surveys, usability tests, and more. Founded in 2008, the platform claims to have over 320k clients, including brands like L'Oréal, GoDaddy, Asana, Google, Airtable, and more.

Ubertesters

Ubertesters is a crowdtesting platform that facilitates the connection between those looking for testing services and those looking to make money testing things like websites and apps. Founded in 2013, the platform claims to have over 80k testers across the globe and to have worked with well-known clients like Zalando, Monday.com, NBC, and more.

Tryber is a crowdtesting platform where testers can earn money for finding bugs, usability issues, and other problems in websites, applications, physical products, and more. The platform is owned and operated by Unguess (formerly AppQuality), a crowdsourcing platform that was founded in 2015.

UserTesting

UsertTesting.com is a crowdtesting platform focused on usability testing. Companies can use the platform to get feedback on their websites, apps, prototypes, and more, while contributors (aka testers) can use it to make money by participating in usability tests. Founded in 2007, the platform has grown to become one of the largest and most well-known in the crowdtesting space.

Crowdtap is a rewards platform where members can earn points for answering surveys and sharing their opinions. Surveys can range from one question long to full-on interviews.

Userlytics is a crowdtesting platform that connects organizations with UX testers who get paid to provide feedback on websites and apps. Founded in 2009, the platform claims to have over 2M testers, around 50 new studies uploaded every day, and worked with companies like Riot Games, Microsoft, eBay, Verizon, Coca-Cola, and more.

PlaytestCloud

PlaytestCloud is a crowdtesting platform that connects mobile game developers with paid freelance playtesters from around the globe. Founded in 2014, the platform claims to have over 1M playtesters who get paid for providing feedback on a variety of mobile games from developers like Zynga, Ubisoft, Gameloft, and many more.

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a rewards platform and market research community that pays members for completing surveys and contributing their opinions, insights, and data. Founded in 2013, the platform is owned and operated by DISQO, an award-winning insights platform based in the U.S.

iPoll is a rewards platform that pays members for sharing their opinions, testing products, completing real-world missions, and more. Founded in 2012, the platform was previously known as Surveyhead and is currently owned and operated by Dyanata.

Product Report Card

Product Report Card is a rewards platform that pays members to take surveys and participate in free product tests. Founded in 2012, they claim to offer more high-paying surveys and product test opportunities than any other platform.

American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) is an international rewards platform that pays people from all around the world to share their opinions on a variety of products and services. They offer paid surveys as well as occasional product testing and mystery shopping opportunities. Founded in 1986 as a small U.S. mail survey panel, the platform has since grown into an online community of over 7 million members worldwide.

Find More Paid Research Participation Opportunities

Check out our free Platform Discovery Tool . With it, you can find and filter through dozens of money-making platforms to fine-tune the results to your liking.

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Updated: February 13, 2024

Paid Research Studies

34 sites to find legit paid research studies and focus groups....

This is the definitive guide to finding online paid research studies that you can earn from.

Today you’ll learn:

• What online paid research is
• What types of research you could participate in
• Legit places to find well paying research studies you can do from home
• Tips on how to succeed making money from paid research

I’ve spent a week researching and learning about all the different places you can earn cash from taking part in studies.

🏆 Best Sites for Paid Research Studies

If you’re in a hurry, these are the top sites we recommend:

🌎 Worldwide

🇺🇸 Inside USA

• FindFocusGroups.com

Reddit r/PaidStudies

Keep scrolling for more info and resources.

Jump to…

• What is online paid research?
• How much can I earn?
• Best International Sites
• Best Sites for the USA
• 30+ More Legit Sites
• Are paid research studies legit?
• Are $350+ focus groups real?
• What skills do I need?
• General Tips

Pros and Cons

• Can I be a full-time participant?
• Share your experience

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🤔 What Is Online Paid Research?

Online paid research is a broad term. It mainly includes activities like:

• Focus Groups Providing feedback with a bigger group of testers or participants.
• In-home Interviews Talking directly with people over the phone or internet.
• One-on-one Interviews Sharing your opinion via video conferencing software.
• Answering Questionnaires Giving feedback to short questions based on your opinions or experiences.
• Taste / Product Testing Receiving a “first-look” at products and testing them.
• Mock Trial / Mock Jury Participating in a simulated court trial to help legal workers train.

You’ll sometimes see paid research called “paid studies” or “paid focus groups” too. 

Generally you’ll be providing companies information about their products or services to help them improve. Or you might be helping scientists or researchers gather information about things like diseases or human behavior.

The subject of research can be varied.

Note that we differentiate between paid research studies and paid surveys, though there can be some overlap. Both are considered GetPaidTo (GPT), but you’ll usually earn more money with research studies.

• See our list of best survey sites

🤑 How Much Do Research Studies Pay?

Typically, research studies can pay anything between $8 – $450 per hour .

While generally not a consistent source of income, they can be a great way to earn some extra money.

An example of a paid online research study that many people could potentially qualify for:

Potential earnings rely on a few factors:

• Method of research Online studies tend to pay less than in-person ones. This is because the range of information a researcher can receive is limited to text or speech. Sometimes the higher paying studies need more information (i.e. health metrics in clinical research).
• Length of study The longer the study, the higher the chance of earning. Some studies can be less than an hour in length. Others might go on for several weeks or months.
• Type of payment Some online paid research positions don’t pay in cash at all but rather gift cards or vouchers. These could limit you to certain vendors you may not be interested in (Walmart when you live outside the U.S. for instance).
• Number of research studies available Don’t be fooled into thinking high paying online studies are everywhere, they’re not. As far as market research companies or clinical trials go, they are expensive to set up and manage.
• Demographics Certain studies want to target a specific age, income or gender etc. There’s no promise you’ll qualify for enough studies to make it worth your while.

The highest to lowest earning online paid research study types are:

• Focus groups
• Taste/product testing
• Questionnaires or surveys ( list of best survey sites )

The last group pays the least but usually has more regular opportunities.

🌎 Best Places to Find Paid Studies Online

There are several legit sites to find paid research studies.

The two best places, in my opinion, are PingPong and Respondent . They take participants from anywhere, not just the U.S.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Respondent.io is a website that helps companies like Allstate and eBay perform market research studies.

As a “respondent” (fancy word for research participant), you’ll be paid for taking part in focus groups, one-on-one interviews and other research work.

Examples of paid research studies available at Respondent:

The majority of the studies are performed online or via phone (i.e. remote).

🤑 Earning Range

• $20 – $500 per study
• High payout
• Good reputation among online workers
• Not easy to qualify for research studies
• Slow customer support
• Full Respondent review

PingPong is a recent player in the marketing research space, launched in 2017. Its platform is designed to bring developers and research participants together in one-on-one video calls to help test websites . 

As their past clients include companies like BT, Skyscanner, Zapier and Nestle, you know they’re legit.

One user reported earning €40 per hour participating in 3 studies on PingPong:

• €10 – €100 for every session
• €30+ per hour of a video call (special cases up to €200)
• You don’t need to match any special criteria
• The chance to work with top brands
• Requires providing feedback with a webcam
• Possibly boring if you’re not interested in web design and usability

🇺🇸 Best Sites For Paid Studies Online In The USA

If you’re a U.S. resident there are two more options worth checking out: FindFocusGroups.com and r/PaidStudies .

These are listing sites as opposed to market research companies. 

FindFocusGroups.com allows you to search for both in-person and online research studies taking place across America. 

At the time of writing, there are several online focus groups and clinical trials listed. These cover topics as broad as credit cards, Bay Area living and home ownership.

• $65 – $400 per study
• Frequently updated 
• Good number of focus-groups and research studies available
• All studies with decent pay
• Third-party site, can’t always promise legit studies
• The application process isn’t standard (dependent on whatever site you’re referred to)

r/PaidStudies is a growing subreddit that was first started in 2017.

It lists paid market research studies, including the ones that can be done online from anywhere in the USA.

An example of a paid study linked from r/PaidStudies:

• $25 – $500 per study
• New research studies posted daily
• Big range of study types; clinical trials, focus groups, product testing, etc.
• You don’t have to create an account to apply 
• Some overlap with platforms like Respondent re-posting studies

😎 30 Other Legit Places to Find Paid Focus Group

There are a bunch of other legit places with research studies available.

Sites below are listed in alphabetical order. So, there are some really good ones mentioned even towards the very end of the article. Keep scrolling down and you will see examples of online studies that pay up to $500 for a 75-minute call interview …

20|20 Research

Part of the Schlesinger marketing group, 20|20 Research has over 30 years experience in the industry.

They offer both online focus groups and one-on-one interviews mainly to U.S. residents. Examples:

• $50 – $350 per qualitative research
• $1 – $10 for each quick survey (quantitative research)
• High earning potential
• Many short survey opportunities available, paying out anything between $1 – $10 cash
• Lengthy pre-screening tests
• Higher earning rates for in-person studies (specifically for people in Charlotte, Nashville and Miami)

Adler Weiner Research

Adler Weiner Research has over 60 years experience in the industry. They specialize in consumer, medical and business-to-business marketing.

They offer focus-groups, in-depth interviews and shop alongs (a research team goes with you to shop).

An example of online study:

• $25 – $300 per study
• Diverse research study types
• Reputable company
• Mostly want people for in-person studies in Chicago, Los Angeles and Orange Country

Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)

Mechanical Turk is a “microjobs” site from Amazon where you can get paid to perform small tasks, including participation in research studies.

MTurk brings researchers and participants together allowing for pseudo-anonymity between both. Having a third party (Amazon) overseeing payments is a great way to protect both parties.

Examples of the higher paying tasks one user reported on the Hustle:

As you can see above, this user was earning between $10.54 – $14.24 per hour, while only taking the highest paying surveys.

However, most tasks pay at the lower end:

The Hustle reported average earnings:

A 2018 academic study analyzed 3.8m tasks completed by 2,676 workers on MTurk and found that average earnings through the platform amounted to $2 per hour . Only 4% of all workers earned more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.

• $1 – $14 per hour
• Many varied opportunities
• Open to internationals
• Lower paying
• Strong competition for places
• Check this subreddit which posts the highest paying tasks on MTurk

American Consumer Opinion

Boasting 6 million members, American Consumer Opinion runs paid research studies several times a year. They normally don’t pay much, but you might be selected for those rare market research studies that pay up to $50.

The platform runs on a points system rather than cash payouts. When you hit $10.00, you can request your money.

• About $2 – $5 for a few minute study
• $0.1 – $0.3 compensation if you disqualify
• Varied research subjectis (product opinions, website testing, etc.)
• Much more low-paying surveys than higher-paying focus groups

Apex Focus Group

Apex Focus Group is seeking individuals to participate in paid focus groups, survey panels, clinical trials, and phone interviews.

Most of their studies are 90 – 120 minutes in duration and on the topics like food, sports, entertainment, pets, electronics, automobiles and parenting.

• $35 – $75 (per 1 hour session)
• $250 – $500 (multi-session studies)
• High payouts
• Varied research topics
• High competition among participants
• U.S. residents only

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Brand Institute

As the parent of the Drug Safety Institute (DSI), Brand Institute specializes in medical research surveys.

They only work with licenced healthcare workers as participants. Most surveys seem to take 15 to 40 minutes and pay between $10 – $20 on average .

The list of open surveys is only available for signed-up users. But you can find their users reviews on Facebook . One user posted a screenshot of his survey history a few years ago…

• $2 – $30 per study
• Quick earning opportunity for healthcare workers
• Many reported that surveys were interesting and fun
• Requires a medical license number from participants
• Not that many surveys seem to be available lately

Carnegie Mellon University | Center for Behavioral and Decision Research

Carnegie Mellon runs a few online studies from their research lab. Subjects include things like personal attitudes, beliefs, human judgement and decision-making. 

• $8 per hour on average (for online studies)
• Short online studies (from 5 minutes to an hour)
• Enter a lottery for a chance to win a larger prize
• Participants are primarily needed for in-person studies in labs on campus
• Can not participate in more than one study at one time

Columbia Business School | Center for Decision Sciences

Columbia Business School is continually recruiting people to take part in online studies.

Recent topics of study have involved completing interactive decision-making tasks, short cognitive tests, solving brain teasers and answering general questions about politics.

• About $16 per hour
• Good number of research projects
• Steady pay rate
• Few studies for people outside US
• May be strict eligibility requirements

CenterWatch

CenterWatch is an aggregator of worldwide clinical research studies. They list studies from research labs and clinics all over the globe, including those doing important research on subjects like dementia and genetic screening.

Unfortunately, they often don’t disclose the earning ranges on their studies and many are strictly voluntary.

You’ll need to play around with the search filters to find paid and/or online studies. Try searching for the following keywords:

• Compensation
• Compensated

Here’s an example of a paid online study I found via search:

• Available studies on all continents (but mainly in North America, Europe and Asia)
• You can find well-paid studies
• Poor site navigation (hunting for paid online studies can take a while)
• Many studies are voluntary

Fieldwork is a marketing research company that has been operating since 1980.

They are mainly focused on consumer and medical panels and have several in-person paid research locations in the US.

• $75 minimum for focus groups
• Short sessions (1-2 hours)
• Variety of topics
• Few online paid research gigs (most are in-person)

FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com is another research company owned by the Schlesinger Group. They list many online focus groups and research studies on their Facebook page .

FocusGroup.com also operates under the brands Focus Pointe Global and Inspired Opinions.

Example of an online focus group:

• $75 – $200 per study
• Reputable brand
• Slow payout (cash usually received within 6-8 weeks of participation)
• There could be some delays in payment
• Check out Focus Group on Facebook for the latest studies

Google’s User Experience Research

Google runs different focus group studies to get user feedback on a range of their products and services.

Many of these studies offer redemptions in the form of gift cards or charity donations. Gift card options are relevant to your country.

• $25 – $200 per hour of screen-recording surveys
• About $0.5 or more for 30-40 minutes of surveys that don’t require screen recordings

Here’s the official word from Google :

Once your participation is complete, you’ll get a small thank-you gift like a gift card or a donation to your favorite charity . We’ll always tell you what the reward will be before you decide whether to participate.

• Wide eligibility (just have to use Google products)
• Open for people outside the US
• Donate to your favorite charity
• Lengthy sign-up process (1-2 hours survey regarding your usage of Google products)
• Pay varies greatly depending on a type of survey

Harvard University | Psychology Department Study Pool

Running since the 1800’s, Harvard’s reputation as one of the world’s finest educational institutions is global.

Harvard’s Psychology Department is also one the highest ranked in the world. It has openings for paid research on the regular.

Some of the studies require you to attend in person, but they also do online studies. Time and compensation will be listed in the description of each study.

• $10 – $25 per hour on average
• Available opportunities for foreign internationals
• Limited places (plus high competition)

MIT Behavioral Research Lab

There are many different types of paid research you can do with the MIT Behavioral Research Lab. Common activities include completing group assignments, filling out questionnaires, playing games and taking part in interviews or discussions.

MIT uses the platform Sona to bring participants and research leaders together. Online studies usually last between 15 and 45 minutes.

• $10 – $20 per hour for online studies

While most researchers pay participants a flat rate, some researchers prefer to use a performance-based payment system, where participants receive a fixed base rate for completing a study, plus a variable bonus that reflects how well they perform in certain tasks.

• Performance-based payment gives opportunity to earn more
• Strict eligibility criteria
• Open to US residents only

Mindswarms is a market research company that’s focused exclusively on video.

Completing one of their studies involves recording your insights on a business or product via a smartphone, tablet or webcam. Past clients include Nike, Verizon and Google. You can find out more about their clients here .

• $10 – $50 per study (from a few minutes to 20 min)
• Video format
• Few studies available

Northwestern University | Department of Psychology

Northwestern University’s Psychology Department is at the cutting edge of psychological research in America.

Recent study topics include Covid-19, the impact of the Trump presidency and the efficiency of female leaders.

An example of a recent online study:

• $15 – $421 per study
• Interesting topics
• Available studies for those under 18 years of age
• Most surveys for U.S. residents only

Purdue University

Purdue University, known as one of the most innovative schools in America, is another site that will pay you for taking part in studies.

A recent online telehealth study, looking at speech in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, shows the type of research they do…

• $10 – $70 per study
• Some studies provide extra bonuses for completing sessions
• Website is difficult to navigate (hard to figure out which opportunities are online vs in-person)
• Few online studies

Plaza Research

In business since 1982, Plaza Research runs a lot of studies targeted at consumers, parents, teens, students, business professionals and healthcare workers.

Most focus groups are up to 2-hours long and discuss things like new products from major manufacturers.

• $50 – $200 per study
• Growing number of opportunities (online survey taking, paid interviews and focus groups)
• Long sign-up process
• Poor website design

Probe Market Research

Probe Market Research conducts group interviews over the phone or online. You can get paid for your opinions on things like new TV commercials, beauty products and even soda bottle designs. Past clients include Dell, Lego and eBay.

An example of recent online research on credit cards:

• $50 – $400 per study
• Chance to work with top brands
• Mostly US-based opportunities
• Check out PMR’s on Facebook to view recent research opportunities

Recruit and Field

Recruit and Field has been in business since 1977. They specialize in connecting and inviting participants to take part in focus groups, phone interviews, online surveys and in-home product testing.

Some studies pay cash while others offer Amazon gift cards and PayPal payouts.

• $100 – $300 per study
• Varied research formats (phone, online, in-home, etc.)
• Competitive (the website claims a pool of 300,000 respondents)
• Check out Recruit & Field on Facebook for the latest studies

Reddit r/FocusGroups

r/FocusGroups is a community very similar to r/PaidStudies and has a lot of crossover. You can sign up to each of the opportunities they list directly.

At the time of writing there are studies paying as high as $250 per hour that require only a WebCam to share product opinions…

• New daily listings
• Overlaps with other sites on this list

Resolution Research

Resolution Research looks for “engaged and enthusiastic participants from all walks of life in the US and Canada”, according to their website.

They run focus groups, product and device tests, mock juries, taste tests and online surveys. They also run two other research panels; The Medical Panel and PaidStudies.com.

• $20 – $200 per survey (estimated)
• Reputable brand (several studies running across different panels)
• Confusing web interface (lots of redirection to other panels/websites)

SIS International

SIS International does research into topics like smoking and tobacco use, social media opinions and online entertainment use.

You’ll get paid to join focus groups, do online surveys and give product feedback in one-to-one interviews. Example:

• $25 – $400 per study
• Open to international participants (Germany, London, Milan, etc.)
• Available studies for teenagers
• Some users reported poor customer service
• Check out SIS International on Facebook for the latest studies in the USA

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Stanford’s School of Business is another Ivy-league University running a research lab.

Most studies can be done online or in-person at choice. Studies typically include cash or gift card payments averaging $25 an hour .

Studies are usually run through Sona, MTurk or Opinion World.

• $25 per hour
• Most studies can be done online
• Specific eligibility requirements

SurveyFeeds

SurveyFeeds is another aggregator site that lists several online paid research gigs.

• Nationwide studies
• Not many studies available

Survey Squad

Survey Squad is most active on their Twitter account when it comes to listing new paid research spots. Recent studies include online live chats on the topic of finance, nutrition and dating.

• Earn additional rewards by completing multiple surveys through Survey Squad
• Many users reported never qualifying for surveys or being denied after initial confirmation
• Slow payout
• Check out SurveySquad’s Twitter account for the latest studies

University of California | Anderson Behavioral Lab

The UCLA Anderson School of Management has a couple of online paid research places looking at things like decision making, consumer and organizational behavior and human judgement. 

You’ll have to register via Sona ( here ) to apply for paid studies.

• $13 – $15 per hour
• Few research gigs

University of California | Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

The Semel Institute offers mainly in-person research studies but does have a few online studies occasionally.

Research focuses on neuroscience, with investigations into things like body dysmorphia, depression and sleep. Some studies focus on teens under 18 years too.

Click on the studies that interest you on this page and contact the email address provided.

• $10 – $15 per hour (estimated)
• Interesting and varied research topics
• Online studies are rare (and hard to filter them on the site)

User Interviews

User Interviews does what it says, it pays to hear your thoughts over Zoom calls and other conferencing software.

Recent studies have looked at things like streaming services, food delivery and mobile apps. You can view the list of available paid research studies here .

• $15 – $340 per study
• Many studies with decent pay
• The company has good reputation
• Long screeners to apply for studies
• May be hard to qualify

The WatchLab is an American-based marketing agency operating out of Portland and Chicago.

They sometimes have paid studies you can do over the phone or online. Most of these are 1-2 hour long focus groups.

• $90 – $200 per study
• Mainly focus groups
• Most studies are in-person
• Check out watchLab’s Facebook page for the latest studies

👮‍♂️ Are Paid Research Studies Legit?

I’d say paid research studies are definitely legit.

Like any online earning opportunity you have to be careful though. Many sites will just waste your time with screening questionnaires if you don’t fit certain demographics.

Make sure the paid research study you do apply for has their criteria clearly listed.

⚠️ How to Make Sure Research Companies Are Legit

Here’s what you can do to avoid wasting your time and only find legit chances to earn:

• Check for an official address Does the company have a listed public address with contact numbers and staff listings?
• Look for a professional website Does the website look well put together with a good about page that talks about how studies work?
• Read the company privacy policy Read all documentation available so you know your rights as a participant.
• Check email correspondence Does the email address include the company or institution’s name?
• Avoid any request for money If someone is asking for money up front it’s definitely a scam.
• Check online profiles : Verify who you’re dealing with by looking for a company profile at the Better Business Bureau or Trustpilot.org.

🧐 Are $350 focus groups real?

Although there are chances to earn this amount of cash (or higher) don’t expect it to be standard. Earnings like this aren’t typical.

Your best chance to earn high are to go with the sites recommended at the beginning of this article:

• r/PaidStudies

🤓 What Skills Do You Need For Paid Studies?

You only need basic skills to take part in paid studies.

Besides being able to confidently use a computer or mobile device, you’ll also need to be good at the following:

• Communication Speaking when requested and giving precise feedback.
• Punctuality Attending studies at the time specified.
• Question comprehension Understand and matching what’s asked in each study.
• Upholding confidentiality Respecting the privacy requests of the research.

😎 General Tips For Doing Well With Paid Research

Here are some suggestions to do well in paid research and increase your chances of landing further gigs:

• Know your rights Carefully read the terms and conditions of every study you join.
• Give honest information Be truthful with your answers, don’t give research leaders the answers you think they might want to hear.
• Remain patient Don’t interrupt other participants.
• Follow instructions Do the things researchers ask of you to the best of your ability.

What Are The Pros and Cons of Paid Research?

The main pros and cons below:

• It’s a simple and fast way to make decent money
• Sharing your opinions can be interesting and fun
• Your opinions can have an important impact
• It’s not a reliable way to earn 
• It’s tough to find high paying online research gigs
• Meeting the criteria and getting accepted can take a long time

Can I Be A Full-Time Online Research Participant?

My opinion is that it’s next to impossible to do online research as a full-time job.

There just aren’t enough studies to qualify for and most of them won’t pay out enough to make it worth your while.

• See more reliable ways to make money online

💬 Share Your Experience

Have you participated in any online research studies? Are there any good sites you’re aware of that we didn’t mention?

Let us know in the comments below .

Other ways to make money online

There are many other ways to make money online, to work from home or anywhere in the world.

• Full list of ways to make money online
• More profiles of online money makers

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We are always excited about gathering opinions to help our clients better understand their consumers, people just like you! We know how important your opinions are to the brands we work for and we’re always looking for people who want to share their input. Our paid market research studies allow you to voice your opinions with people who listen and have the power to make changes. With your input, you can influence actual products, services, and policies — and get paid. From paid focus groups online or in-person, to in-home interviews and online communities to shop-alongs, we offer many ways to get your opinion heard and let brands know what you’re thinking – and have fun at the same time! We are members of various research organizations including Insights Association, American Marketing Association, QRCA and ESOMAR , so you can have confidence that everything we do is completely above board. Ready to start offering your opinion and shape future products and services? Sign up here for paid focus groups and join our community of like-minded people.

Taking part in paid market research is a great way to get your opinions heard by the brands of products and services that you see and use daily. now for the legal jargon that we are forced to include. by registering with us, you are giving us your consent to process your information as described in our participant privacy policy. step 1: register by clicking the register button you will take the first step to create a profile and begin receiving surveys & calls for potential studies. the initial questionnaire asks for information that will assist us in finding upcoming studies for which you might qualify step 2: take surveys online & over the phone online: surveys will periodically be emailed to you. our surveys are mobile-friendly, so you can conveniently complete them from any mobile device on-the-go by either clicking on the link in your email. completing these surveys will help us to determine if you qualify. if you meet the preliminary criteria, one of our recruiters will give you a call to ask a few more questions and hopefully get you signed up to participate. step 3: participate and get paid for sharing your opinions once invited, you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics and products, either in person or online, helping brands improve their products. you might even get to try new products before they make it to market, all while having fun and getting paid. look around you, everything you see started somewhere and grew to the product it is today with the input and opinions of individuals just like you, so join us, and help shape the world around you. now it’s your time to shine. register today to get the chance to explore the latest market research projects directly to your inbox., still not ready to register check out our faq’s, who doesn’t want to earn some extra mad money to spend on themselves, their family or a special event paid market research not only gives you the opportunity to earn extra dollars but also allows you to voice your opinion on everyday goods, services, and brands, helping decision makers to direct product development and marketing initiatives. why do you need personal information about me we use that information to sort potential candidates to participate in the research. all studies have various requirements and quotas based on age, gender, household income, and even specific product usage. we use this data to help guide our initial search to avoid bombarding your inbox with studies that you may not pre-qualify for. do you sell my information no, we keep your information confidential. our clients are only allowed to use your data for the specific purpose for which it was collected. what are the different ways i can participate there are a variety of ways you can participate with the majority having a professional moderator leading the discussion. focus groups online or in-person: this type of study consists of participants who are led through specific discussions by a moderator and can range in size between 3 - 15 people. and sometimes we will conduct one-one sessions with individual participants. these discussions may be conducted remotely, using your desktop or laptop and webcam, or in one of our focus group facilities across the country. online bulletin boards: online bulletin boards are private community platforms where you and other participants can post responses and participate in activities and exercises. researchers will view and respond to posts and pose questions in the forum space. in-depth interview in real life environment: an in-depth research interview, with the observer physically present, with the research experience to be completed in real-life environments, such as out shopping, eating at a restaurant or even at home. all participation in any of the above will require you to be pre-screened, qualified, and invited to participate by our recruiting specialists prior to participation and receipt of compensation. what are you trying to sell me paid market research isn’t and never will involve a sales pitch. the goal is to gain feedback on products and services used in our everyday lives. rest assured, there will never be any sales attempt made by our company. ever. how do i know this is legit most market research companies you come across are genuine and we are one of those you can always do your own research to ensure the company asking you to participate is a member of a market research organizations, such as insights association, american marketing association, qrca and esomar. and we are members of all how will i be paid there are several different methods we use to thank our participants for their time and opinions. you may get paid with cash, check, gift cards, by keeping the product, or a combination of these. the incentive amounts are based on what our clients specify, and we will share these details with you during the invitation process. if you’d like to give some of the big brands your feedback on their offering, have some fun and put some green in your pocket at the same time, register today still have questions [email protected].

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How to Make $150 in An Hour With Focus Groups!

This article may contain affiliate links, please read our disclosure policy .

Happy to share your views on hair products or politics? If so, you can easily make up to $150 an hour from anywhere, participating in market research! Online focus groups are a great way to make some extra cash from the comfort of your own home!

Table of contents

The other day I got an email in my inbox that said:

“Sara, you might be a fit for a $150.00 study!”

I wouldn’t have opened it if it wasn’t from a legit consumer research company! But I knew the company really well and knew that this was a real money-making opportunity.

It was for a study about hair care purchases and routines!

But hey, $150 for an hour of my time? Why not?

That’s pretty special and not that easy to find!

I used survey companies before! And as much as I love Swagbucks for their Gold Surveys and cashback (I made over $200 in a couple of months just by buying through their links! So you should really subscribe for free…), $150 for an hour is not bad at all!

And as I am always super interested in side hustles and ways to make extra money, I did a little research to find other companies that look for people to do paid focus groups, either in person or online.

And the great thing about online focus groups? You can do it from anywhere!

So you can take part in some of these, no matter where you are or your nationality!

Available internationally. Earn from $75 for 30 minutes of your time to $450 for specific one-hour studies.

Available internationally. Earn from $50 to 250$ per research (sometimes more).

What is a Focus Group?

A focus group is a small group of people invited to share their opinions.

Focus groups can be conducted in person or online.

They are normally used for market research for new or existing products to determine people’s attitudes towards specific branding, usability, packaging, or ideas. They can also be used for political campaigns and opinion research. You can think about paid focus groups as much more in-depth surveys.

They usually involve you giving opinions and answering questions on a specific subject, getting some free coffee, and going home with an extra $50-$150 in your pocket!

More and more companies are now using paid research studies to better understand the market and trends and connect with consumers locally and globally.

How Focus Groups Work

If you find an in-person focus group near you, you will be expected to attend the interview in person. You will generally be interviewed within a group where each participant can talk to each other.

There is usually a researcher or moderator to lead the group, take notes, ask questions, and record the results.

If you join an in-person focus group, you might need to attend more than one session, but you will be paid for each session you attend.

An online focus group is very similar to an in-person focus group. You’ll need to join online via chat on your tablet or smartphone. You’ll typically receive a link to access the focus group, and from there, you’ll be able to join the discussion and give feedback.

Some online focus groups also use video or specific web-based software. You’ll need to download the software ahead of your focus group research.

More and more research studies are now opting for online focus groups as it’s a lot less expensive for them: they can cut down on money spent on materials and staff, plus it makes it a lot easier to have a bigger pool of possible participants in the research study.

How Much You Can Expect to Earn With Paid Focus Groups

Each focus group will be different, but you can expect to make from $30 to $150 per focus group (although some very specific focus groups can pay up to $450 for an hour of your time!).

The amount you will receive will depend on the time you’ve spent, which is usually an hour or two.

You’ll typically get paid in cash, via PayPal, check, or gift cards. Some market research companies pay with points you can redeem using a specific credit card.

Make sure you know exactly how you’ll get your money before agreeing to participate in a focus group!

How to Find Legit Focus Groups

Whether you are looking for online focus groups or in-person focus groups near you, you will have to be a bit patient as you have to go through a screening process before you can participate in any research study.

Consumer research companies normally look for people with very specific interests and profiles, and you will not be able to qualify all the time.

By joining as many companies as possible, you will maximize your chances of qualifying for as many focus groups as possible.

But before you start signing up, spend a couple of minutes to check out the company and make sure it’s legit. The last thing you want is to waste your time and get scammed online!

Read all the fine print and check their Facebook pages to find out what kind of reviews they are getting. Like with all survey companies, you’ll never find a 5-star rating from everyone! Some people will love them. Some will hate them.

But lucky for you, I have done a lot of the hard work and researched the best online focus group companies!

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Top 16 Online Focus Groups

Here I put together a list of 16 companies that pay the biggest sums to make the most of your time!

You will find info on how each company pays and if they accept registration from specific countries, cities, or from all over the world.

1. User Interviews (my favorite)

User Interviews used to be available only in the US or Canada.

But they have recently opened up international studies and are adding more and more research studies.

It’s one of my favorite online focus group websites out there, and for a reason. In a month, I made $535 ! You can read about my experience here .

The first step to signing up is to create an account by  clicking here. You will need to supply basic information like name, city, state, and demographic information. This information will help User Interviews to pair you with studies. Creating an account takes about 2 minutes!

If you connect via Linkedin and Facebook, you’ll get more chances to participate in focus groups, as they’ll be able to see details in your profiles.

As soon as you sign, you’ll be able to select between the following:

• Focus groups
• 1-on-1 interviews
• Multiday studies

You’ll be paid via cash, check, PayPal, Amazon, or Visa gift card. The incentive type and amount are displayed before you select a study, so you can take the payment method into account before applying. 

The pay goes from $75 for 30 minutes of your time to $450 for specific one-hour studies.

What I like about User Interviews is that their studies are super diverse, covering a slew of topics: technology, food, consumer goods, family, software, hobbies, pets, sports, transportation, beauty, social media, music, you name it! You’ll get to be a part of the conversation as new products, apps, websites, etc., are created, sharing their unique perspectives so teams can build better things.

They have some incredible clients, including Pinterest, Spotify, Vistaprint, Wayfair, Thumbtack, and more. 

It’s really a no-brainer. Sign up here!  

2. Respondent.io (must try this one)

Respondent is my favorite option for in-person and online focus group studies and the one that got me the $150 focus group.

Their payout is excellent, up to $250 per research, sometimes more!

And they accept respondents from ALL OVER THE WORLD!

Respondent.io has projects that are available to US Residents as well as International. This means you don’t have to be in the US to join and earn from $50 to 250$ per research.

All you need to join is a PayPal account and either Facebook or LinkedIn to connect your profile.

This is how it works:

• After you have created your account, you’ll be able to browse all the open studies.
• You apply to participate in studies that you think are a good fit for you.
• The researcher/sponsor of the study reviews responses and sends invitations to respondents that are the best fit.
• If you receive an invitation to participate, you can choose a time that suits you from the researcher’s available times.
• After you have completed the study, you are paid via PayPal.

Respondents are paid the cash incentive amount advertised by the researcher, less a 5% (or a $1 fulfillment fee, whichever is higher). Example: If the cash incentive is $150, you will receive $142.50 via PayPal.

I know you’ll love it, and you’ll soon find something that’s right up your alley!

Just sign up here .

3. Ipsos i-Say

Ipsos is the third largest survey-based research firm in the world, and its consumer survey platform accepts people from all over the world .

Most of the offers available here are for small surveys where you can only earn $0.40-$1.50 per survey, but they do offer from time to time high-end surveys and focus groups that pay $50-$100 for an hour of your time.

They also have a mobile app that allows you to take surveys on the go.

You’ll earn points instead of cash when you complete a survey or focus group. Points vary depending on survey length. You can redeem your points when you have at least 500 in your account.

You’ll get paid with gift cards (including Amazon and iTunes), or you can also choose a prepaid Visa or PayPal cash.

Click here to sign up from anywhere.

And if you want to know more about Ipsos Isay, you can read my full review here .

4. Recruit and Field

With an outstanding 4.9 out of 5 on Facebook , Recruit and Field offer US nationwide online studies as well as focus groups in different locations.

They look for participants from any gender and age for their studies, including professionals and medical professionals (doctors, nurses, lab technicians, etc.).

They usually pay via PayPal but also offer Amazon or digital gift cards.

Their payments range from $100 to $275 per study.

5. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a great legit website to make some extra cash! It’s mostly a survey company. With their surveys, you can earn between $0.5 to $5 (although the average is probably around $0.5-$3). But once you have signed up, you can opt in for some great focus groups and studies.

Survey Junkie offers:

• Product testing : up to $50 – you get sent a free product to test, plus you’ll get paid for it! You need to fill out an online survey after you’ve used it.
• In-Person focus groups : up to $150 – after an initial online survey, if you are selected, you will have to attend an in-person focus group in a location near you.
• Phone Survey : up to $100 – you will go through market research questions on a phone call.

The only catch is that some of these higher-paying options are available only once a month (or less, depending on your profile).

I really like how easy Survey Junkie is to set up, and it doesn’t cost anything to subscribe. Just sign up here .

6. Survey Feeds

Survey Feeds is US-based and has opportunities in many US cities (Boston, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami, to name a few) and online. You can earn anything from $50 to $475.

Survey Feeds Specializes in the following:

In-Person Studies

• One-on-one Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Clinical Research Studies

Online studies

• Web Conferences
• Online Surveys
• Phone Interviews

Their Facebook page is updated quite often with great market research opportunities. 

You can browse the different options online by clicking here , or you can follow their  Facebook page . They usually share their most profitable market research studies there!

7. FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com offers both in-person and online focus groups all over the US. You can have a look at “Available studies” to check how much you can get paid. Most studies pay between $70 to $250.

Most of the research studies you’ll find interesting are probably under consumer topics, which include:

• Child-Related Products
• Cell Phones
• Entertainment
• Electronics

But they also run business-specific topics and medical topics.

Their payment methods are different for each research study. Make sure you check if you are happy with the payment method before you apply!

They usually pay either via pre-paid Visa card (normally valid for 180 days), check, gift card, or cash.

8. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion is a big survey company for people from the US with over 7 million users. It’s free to sign up, and you can receive money in two ways: PayPal or a check.

It usually doesn’t pay very much, with short surveys making you $0.05 to $0.50, but if you get selected for longer market research surveys, you can make up to $50.

You get points for each survey that you take. 1 point is equivalent to 1 penny. When you hit $10.00, you can request your money.

9. Fieldwork

Fieldwork compensation for participating in a focus group starts at $75, and their focus groups typically last one to two hours.

It has locations throughout the US:

• Chicago-Downtown
• Chicago-O’Hare
• Chicago-Schaumburg
• Fort Lee, NJ
• LA-Orange County
• Minneapolis
• New York City
• San Francisco

But if you don’t live near any of these locations, you can still apply to join their national database. They usually pay with Visa gift cards, but check before you apply for a focus group.

10. Probe Market Research

Rated 4.7 out of 5 on Facebook , Probe Research is a US-based market research company that constantly hosts focus groups to get feedback for clients’ new advertising campaigns, products, or services.

Focus groups normally pay between $50 and $400; in some cases, you may not even need to leave your home! Interviews are conducted in groups, by phone, or online—depending on the amount of time assigned to that particular study.

11. Mindswarms

Mindswarms is quite unique: they will pay you $50 to answer seven questions about a product or service or $10 to answer 1 question.

You can create an account using one of two ways:

1) On the web platform using your laptop/desktop. 2) Using the MindSwarms app on iOS or Android operating system with your smartphone or tablet.

You’ll need to record a profile video or two (to verify that your camera works well) and answer a few questions. Then you can begin applying to surveys.

Once you have registered, you’ll see studies that you might qualify for based on your profile. You can apply by answering a few simple questions in less than a minute.

If you are invited to take a survey, you’ll be asked to answer up to 7 questions using the video function on your smartphone, tablet, or webcam. It’ll take you less than 10 minutes to record your answers.

Then you’ll get paid automatically via PayPal 24 hours after you post your responses to a study.

12. Brand Institute

Voted 4.6 out of 5 on Glassdoor  and 4.5 out of 5 on Facebook , Brand Institute seeks participants to take part in pharmaceutical and market research worldwide .

You just need to register your details and reply to some simple questions. Make sure your account is as up to date as possible, and you will be contacted if you qualify for any study.

If you do, you will receive an email, so make sure you check regularly.

You will be paid via PayPal (remember to claim your payments within 30 days of completing a study!) or check.

13. Plaza Research

Plaza Research has locations in 14 US cities. It specializes in in-person focus groups and pays $50-$200 to group participants.

Focus groups are usually held both during the day and in the evening. You may be asked to sample a new product, preview a TV commercial, or talk about future products. 

You’ll get paid in person straight after the session. You can earn between $50- to $200 for a 2-hour session.

14. Inspired Opinions

To participate in research studies, you just need to be over 18. You can register from all over the world.

You will be asked for some basic information and will be able to create your own personal login and password. Once your profile is complete, they will match you to their research studies. When they find a study that fits your profile, they’ll contact you either by email or phone to see if you qualify.

You can then participate in research studies in a variety of ways:

• In-person at one of their 16 offices across the US
• On the telephone
• Online from a computer anywhere in the world

By participating in one of their focus groups, you can earn anything from $50 to $250.

They use an Opinion Reward points system. And you need to reach 1,000 ($10) before you can redeem points for gift cards.

15. WatchLab

Voted 4.4 out of 5 on Facebook , you can earn from $50 up to $200 for a study (US-based only).

WatchLab has online focus groups, in-person research studies, and in-home studies. You can check out their Facebook page to see the range of focus groups they offer.

I saw focus groups in San Francisco, LA, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Denver, and Portland. There might be more!

Engage has a pretty old-school-looking website.

It specializes in consumer and healthcare market research studies (you’ll need to pick one when you subscribe), and the pay ranges from $50-$250.

You can subscribe from all over the world. Just select your country when you sign up!

More Ways to Find Paid Focus Groups

My 15 favorite websites for online and in-person focus groups aren’t the only ones around! And as I said before, the more you can find, the more opportunities you have to be a perfect fit for a paid focus group.

You can also search Facebook for “focus group” to find a list of pages of companies looking for applicants. I’ve listed some more companies below that might be worth checking out!

• FindFocusGroups.com : Will help you find focus groups near you in the US, by state.
• FocusGroups.org : Another US-based website that will help you to find focus groups in your city.
• TakePartInResearch.co.uk : If you are in the UK, this is an amazing focus group finder! You can earn up to £150 for an hour of your time!
• SIS International Research : Conducts focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and research studies all over the world.
• Advance Focus : A top-rated website that hosts focus groups and market research panels in New York City.
• Survey Squad: They have some great research studies and focus group opportunities on their Facebook page ranging from $50-$275.

Get in There And Get Paid for Research!

Focus groups will not make you rich overnight, but they are a nice side hustle to make some extra cash in your spare time!

And if you are not going to get a free coffee from an in-person focus group, you can sign up to  Swagbucks  and get free $5 credit that you can use for s Starbucks gift card!

If you want to find other ways to hustle for money, check out these other side hustles:

• 36 Creative Ways to Make $100 Every day
• 9 Surprisingly Easy Ways to Make Extra Money Fast
• How to Make Money Blogging (In No Time)

Let me know in the comments below if you had any success with paid focus group studies!

Online Focus Groups: are they really worth your time?

I really love online focus groups as a way to make some extra money on the side. You won’t get rich quickly, or they cannot replace your full-time income, but making $150 for an hour of your time a few times a year, sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

I wish it were possible to qualify for one a day! Lol!

More EasyWays To Make Money Online

11 best dog walking apps: get paid to walk dogs, 15 legit online surveys that pay cash, 20 best selling apps to sell stuff online and locally in 2024, how to make $100 a day: 36 creative real ways, share your thoughts cancel reply.

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94 Comments

Some useful tips to make quick money online here..

Thanks for sharing

I’ve been doing focus groups and on line interviews for almost a year just sporadic at first then more often.year to date I’ve made a little over $ 2000… You got all the bigger ones that I know of but here’s a gem for you voxpopme, their mobile app is called influence. You answer video questions. Great, fun, topics, responses are usually 1 minute and they typically pay $1 by my math that’s somewhere around $60 an hour. Soon as you get $10 (I think) you can cash out via pay pal. Great app easy to navigate and it really Is fun to make and send these videos, the topics are fun the questions are creative it’s not my most lucrative but by far my favorite.

Thanks Steven, for the suggestion! Never heard of this one before but I’ll definitely look into it!

Thank you. I am recently unemployed and need income asap. I am hoping that these are legit. Have a great day.

Best of luck, Jay! I hope you can get selected for a focus group as soon as possible!

I have done focus groups in the past (contacting them the old fashion way) when my children were young. The enjoyed those groups because they got a chance to sample new toys…and my daughter ended up with several new dolls just for participating (while I earned $75 each time, just for making her available). So, I know it’s possible to earn a bit of spending money participating in these groups. The problem is finding legitimate groups/companies. That said, I really do hope this information is legit. If so, I must thank you in advanced because I really do appreciate you doing the leg work! It’s so difficult to find legitimate earning opportunities via the internet (no human contact). (This blog is very likely the closest thing to human contact as is possible via cyberspace.)

Have a try with some of these companies! I am sure you’ll find some that will work for you 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to research all of these focus groups. Much appreciated.

You are welcome, Julianne 🙂

It’s good information in one place.

That is good

Thank you Joseph!

yaaaaaaaa!! Just got paid $157.55

Amazing Ryan!! 🙂

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The 15 Best Sites for Paid Research Studies

Jenni Sisson, Contributor

• Updated May 24, 2024

Paid research studies are somewhat similar to survey sites , but these studies go a lot more in-depth. The marketing company may ask you to keep a diary of your activities for a week or longer, or they may conduct multiple hour-long phone interviews. They’ll also screen your demographic info much more carefully than if you were conducting simple product tests . 

As such, the payout for research studies is much more than for surveys, with between $50 and $100 per hour being common. Read on to find out more about paid research studies, and which ones are worth your time.

Table of Contents

Key Facts About Paid Research Studies

These studies vary in form and topic and sometimes go by different names, like clinical trials, focus groups, shopalongs, user surveys, paid research opportunities and more. In each case, a company or organization hires a market research firm to answer a question. It could be anything from “Which baby food logo do moms prefer?” to “How many Hispanic citizens in Cincinnati have a favorable view of candidate John Doe?” 

The topic of the research determines what kind of study subjects the project requires, so researchers have to gather respondents of specific demographics. If you sign up for the research company’s database and you fit the profile, they will email or call you to participate in the study. In some cases, you can browse research opportunities and apply to the ones you’re most interested in.

Studies can take various forms: an emailed survey, a phone interview, a video chat, an in-person group panel, keeping a diary of certain activities and more. Your honest responses help companies make marketing and product decisions. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you pursue this side hustle:

• You won’t qualify for every study, so plan to apply to a lot of them and with multiple marketing companies.
• Answer honestly. Lie on the surveys and the recruiter will likely ban you from the platform permanently.
• Check your email regularly. Paid research studies are usually time-sensitive, and often the first respondents are rewarded for their punctuality.
• Do your homework. Not every company that claims to do research is legit. Some take your info, “disqualify you” for the study, then sell that info to other companies. Check sites like the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Reddit and Trustpilot to sift out the time wasters and bad actors.
• Check their payment terms. Companies pay in gift cards, cash, or via apps like PayPal. The timeframe of when you’ll be paid varies widely between companies, so read the fine print.

We’ve compiled a list of some popular companies that conduct paid research studies. Some are generalists, while some cater to a specific clientele or demographic. 

#1. User Interviews

In our experience, User Interviews offers a very high payout compared to the time spent. During our test, we earned a net rate of $55 per hour . Most of the payments are in the form of Amazon gift cards rather than cash, though there are occasionally PayPal options.

#2. Respondent

Respondent focuses their recruitment on IT/tech employees, CEOs and other industry professionals. They offer hefty compensation for participants, which can rise to as much as $750 per hour (according to their website). Respondent pays in PayPal only and only allows you to apply to three studies per day.

While the payouts for Respondent studies are high, it can be difficult to qualify for them. Professionals in IT and other technology business roles tend to have an easier time. You can only apply to the B2B studies if you link your work email to your Respondent profile.

We only earned $31 per hour in our Respondent testing , but that still makes this one of the highest-paying market research opportunities we’ve discovered. 

A Reddit user who goes by the screen name sauciestcoconut claims to have made over $2,000 with DScout , noting that their key to success is that they “literally apply to almost every single mission that I might qualify for. I skip the ones that obviously don’t relate to me (about kids or certain occupations) but I submit several applications a day.”

#4. Universities

These are the original source of paid research studies, so if you live near a university, they can be a great option to make some extra cash. They can be trickier to locate, as each department will have its own recruitment methods.

There is no central repository for these studies that we could find, but here is a list of a few major institutions to get you started:

• Carnegie Mellon (offers online research opportunities)
• University of Nebraska
• University of Texas
• University of Colorado

To sign up to be part of the pool of research study participants at your local university, do an internet search for the university’s name and “paid research studies.” Many (though not all) research studies are conducted in person.

Here’s another route to find these opportunities: if you live near a medical research university, ask your doctor if they know of any clinical trials going on that you may qualify for.

#5. Fieldwork

Fieldwork offers focus groups in 13 locations around the U.S. If you don’t live near one, you can join their online database. They especially need doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals for their studies.

After you register with their site, an employee will call or email you when you come up as a match for a study’s requirements. They have a good reputation as a legitimate company, but users say it’s imperative that you answer the phone when they call . Otherwise, they’ll move on to the next qualifying person on their list.

#6. U.S. Government Clinical Trials

The federal government is always looking for people to participate in clinical trials of various medications and treatments, many of which are conducted through the National Institutes of Health.

These studies can be a particularly good option if you suffer from a chronic medical condition, as you may gain access to cutting-edge treatments before they’re widely available. And as a general rule, these trials are safe; although they may not produce the results that the researchers are hoping for, researchers don’t conduct trials that they believe have the potential to cause harm. 

You can find a list of ongoing clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov . This is just a repository for the information; each trial is conducted by a different company, university or organization, and you’ll have to contact each study you’re applying for by phone or email. No compensation information is available on the site, and pay rates vary widely depending on factors such as the required time commitment. 

#7. FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com has 16 facilities nationwide where you can participate in face-to-face focus groups and panels. These typically pay well, since there’s more work involved in attending an in-person interview than a phone or internet survey.

This company is now owned by Schlesinger Group (rebranded as SAGO), and the change has caused some operational hiccups. For example, there have been several complaints to the Better Business Bureau of participants not getting paid and receiving poor or no communication from the company. However, most of these issues have reportedly been resolved. 

#8. Rare Patient Voice

Due to the nature of this company’s clientele, it is extremely difficult for them to match people to research studies, as they focus on rare diseases and conditions. That said, if you do qualify (and they list their ongoing studies directly on their site), you are handsomely compensated.

Rare Patient Voice has a good reputation, earning an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau . Most of the complaints from participants are related to delayed payment due to an investigation on whether the participant sped through the questions too quickly to give a thorough review. 

#9. FindFocusGroups.com

This site doesn’t host paid research studies directly; it’s more like Craigslist for vetted, high-paying focus groups. (That means you’ll have to apply to each study individually.) Focus groups are sorted by city and state, but there are nationwide online groups as well.

The interface of the site is filled with ads, so make sure that when you click on a sign-up link you’re signing up for an individual study, not clicking over to a random advertiser (some of whom make their ads looks like study invitations).

The reputation of FindFocusGroups.com is hard to speak to as the site is just a board that posts the focus groups of various companies.

#10. SIS International

As you might guess from the name, SIS International is one of the few companies on this list that is open to participants around the world. Their research covers a broad range of industries — everything from burgers to butane.

Participants seem to like participating in SIS International’s research. The company has five stars on Trustpilot and many complimentary reviews from former study participants. 

#11. Probe Market Research

Probe Market Research has three focuses: consumer studies, business-to-business research and healthcare. It’s a legit company, though some participants complain of late payments and the inconvenience of getting paid in virtual Visa cards , which can only be used online and expire in 90 days. However, the company has four stars on Yelp and most reviews are positive.

#12. Focus Insite

Though they pay well, several Reddit users note that it’s pretty hard to qualify for these studies . Though the reviews aren’t all bad; for example, Redditor stormborn29 said , “Focus Insite sent me a really nice vacuum to test, and I was paid $200 — plus I got to keep the vacuum.” 

Focus Insite does, however, have a few unresolved BBB complaints regarding the lack of payment to participants . They have an active Facebook page, but the reviews on that page look unrelated to market research or surveys. In other words, this research company appears to be legit, but we still recommend proceeding with caution. 

#13. WatchLab

If you’re curious about the latest WatchLab studies, check out their Facebook page . WatchLab’s website is geared toward companies that employ them, not participants, so you’ll get more information on Facebook. Many studies are related to social media use.

This firm is notorious for taking a long time to pay , and they’ve been dinged by many users for not paying at all. They only have 2.5 stars on Yelp (based on 32 reviews), and most of the complaints are due to nonpayment. 

GLG presents a different type of opportunity than most of the other companies on this list. They do research on big purchasing decisions, recruit expert witnesses for trials and more. They keep a list of industry experts in management, law, finance and other professional fields to interview or consult on special cases or niche studies.

“Consultants” usually have years of industry experience, and often have leadership roles. A handful of other companies do this too; AlphaSights, Guidepoint, Third Bridge and Coleman are a few others. 

The screening required to become a consultant for GLG and other high-paying research firms is extensive, as they only want respondents that have specific credentials. To get selected, veterans in this consulting side gig world recommend being very detailed in your LinkedIn profile, as recruiters for these studies rely heavily on the platform to identify potential participants.

Many studies are geared toward mid to senior-level professionals, and if you’re matched with a study, you can make up to $500 per hour or more.

#15. Recruit + Field

Recruit + Field covers the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They have an impressive list of clients, including Apple, Netflix, Clinique, Spotify and more. This company is somewhere between a GLG (looking for experts) and FieldWork (looking for all walks of life plus healthcare professionals), as they recruit in each of these areas.

Their reputation is fairly good; Recruit + Field has an A- rating on BBB (only 4 complaints, all of which have been answered). 

What About Apex Focus Group?

When we tested Apex Focus Group , we found that the platform offers none of its own paid research studies and uses misleading marketing tactics to get users to sign up for its email list. Once opted in, the company sends affiliate marketing messages to your inbox. Some of those messages contain legit focus group opportunities, but they’re the same focus groups you could find on your own — often by visiting the sites listed above.

Paid Research Study Sites: Summary and Final Thoughts

You won’t qualify for every study, and unfortunately, no amount of hard work will change that. (Plus these companies now have layers of checks and AI algorithms to vet cheating and lying, so don’t try that either). 

Because of this, paid research studies fall squarely in the side-hustle-only camp. For the best return, apply to a number of studies you have a good chance of qualifying for, and quickly respond when you get a call or email from the market research company (as many studies are deadline driven). 

Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent looking to make a few bucks during naptime or a senior project manager looking for a good-paying, low-maintenance side gig , paid research studies can be an easy way to make extra money.

Different companies cater to different demographics, and hence, want different research participants. So do your homework on the research company before you sign up to get a better response rate. 

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33 Best Paid Focus Groups Online (Make $450+/Hour)

Finding paid focus groups online or near you can be a great way to make some extra cash. I mean, who doesn’t like talking about what they think!

This is why doing paid market research by participating in in-person or online focus groups is an easy way to make money doing just that.

While some do pay you more than others, there are plenty of paid focus groups that are legitimate, including in terms of just how much you can earn by doing this.

And when looking to do focus groups for money, you can choose to join a discussion on basically any topic you can think of. Whether you want to talk about what you bought at the supermarket last week or your opinion on the current state of politics in your area, there are definitely going to be options for you to make money discussing this.

Table of Contents

Best paid focus groups

There are a ton of sites setting out options for you to do paid focus groups online or near you, with all of them being free to sign up for. 

In most cases, actually signing up for the sites is the only way to see the available focus group opportunities. This is why it’s a good idea to sign up for as many as you can to give yourself the best chance possible to qualify for a focus group and to make some extra money.

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is mainly focused on offering surveys for you to complete, which take just a couple of minutes each and will pay you a few dollars per survey.

However, they also offer focus groups online, as well as sometimes conducting them in-person or even by phone. In fact, Survey Junkie pays up to $150 for you to join one of their paid focus groups , which will usually require you to go through a few pre-qualification questions to allow you to be selected.

The best part here is that signing up for Survey Junkie is completely free , allowing you to keep an eye on what’s available at absolutely no cost to you.

QUICK TIP:  Given how popular Survey Junkie’s focus groups are, it’s a good idea to select the option to be notified of these by email – that way, you can grab one as soon as it’s available.

All you have to do is sign up for Survey Junkie , then go the notification part of your profile settings. Click to receive the notifications you want and you’re good to go!

2. Respondent

Respondent is well known for offering a massive range of paid focus groups online. But what’s even better is that when it comes to high paid market research online, Respondent is easily the best around.

In fact, you can earn up to $250 just for a one-hour focus group . You can also be based anywhere in the world to do this. 

To apply to join a Respondent focus group, you simply need to create an account and set up your profile.

One great part of using Respondent is that, after you sign up with them, you’ll immediately have access to all of the different focus groups that are currently available to you.

This is much better than some of the other companies , which only reach out to you by email if they think you’re a fit so it can be hard to know exactly how many are on offer.

Sign up for Respondent here to see which paid focus groups are available to you right now.

Related: Make $200 a Day Online: 17 Ways That Are Proven To Work

3. Ipsos i-Say

Ipsos i-Say is one of the largest market research companies in the world, having been in this business for decades now. Not only does this mean they work with companies in all sorts of industries, but they also accept focus group participants from all over the world.

Their paid focus groups will generally let you earn up to around $100 for a one-hour session, however you can also download the i-Say app to do surveys through your phone. These will only pay up to about $1.50 per survey, although they’re much faster than the focus group sessions.

Sign up for free with Ipsos i-Say here.

4. User Interviews

User Interviews is one of the most well-known companies offering paid focus groups and it helps that signing up is very simple.

Essentially, simply create your profile and the system will start automatically linking you up with any offers you qualify for.

And regarding how much you can earn, the starting range is around $75 for a half-hour session . From there, the amount you can earn can go way up depending on how much of your time is needed and how specialized the questions are. 

In cases where you really need some background experience to participate, you can even earn up to $450 just for a one-hour focus group session.  While this is the crème de la crème of high paid market research online, opportunities at this rate aren’t so common – but there’s no reason why you couldn’t strike the jackpot and qualify for one!

5. Recruit and Field

Recruit and Field mainly does online paid focus groups, although there are occasionally options to do these in person.

And given how highly rated this company is online, you know they’re legitimate.

You’ll generally earn anywhere between $100 to $300 per study , with payment usually being made by PayPal although you can choose to get this paid through gift cards instead.

Recruit and Field does a lot of market research in professional and technical areas, meaning they are particularly on the lookout for focus group participants with specialized backgrounds, such as in the medical or legal fields. This means that if you’ve worked in these areas, Recruit and Field could be a good fit for you.

Related: 29 Quick Tips on How to Make $300 Fast

6. PingPong

PingPong is one of the newer sites offering paid focus group opportunities, but this doesn’t make it any less legitimate. In fact, their clients include companies like Skyscanner, Nestle, Dropbox and McKinsey.

You can earn up to €100 per hour for their focus group sessions, which are also open to those in the US and other countries outside of Europe, despite their rates being in Euros.

There’s also the chance to get paid to test websites with PingPong, if you’d prefer that as a money making option.

Related: 25 Websites Where You Can Get Paid to Type Online

7. Google Usability

Google Usability allows you to participate in focus groups online for money directly through Google. These surveys specifically focus on you sharing your thoughts on Google products, which are mostly done online but there is the chance to do in-person studies from time to time.

You’ll earn around $75 per hour which, while not the top paying focus group on this list, does have the perk of knowing you’re directly shaping the products of one of the biggest companies in the world.

8. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion has over six million users worldwide and is mainly focused on paying you to complete surveys. These don’t pay that much (up to around $0.50 per survey), but it does also have longer focus group surveys from time to time that pay up to about $50 each.

You’re not paid in straight up cash – instead, you earn points for each one you complete. These points can then be cashed out either through PayPal or by check.

9. 20|20 Panel

20|20 Panel pays between $50 to $150 for giving your ideas on its clients’ products and services. Having existed for more than 30 years, it’s considered as being one of the more established market research companies.

While they do have offices in several US cities, they mainly do online paid focus groups, meaning you can apply to participate from anywhere in the world.

10. Focus Pointe Global

Focus Pointe Global in the US (and its sister company in the UK, Inspired Opinions ) mainly offers online focus groups, although there are also sometimes in-person options in one of their 16 offices throughout the US.

You’ll be paid anywhere between $50 to $250 for participating and it seems that they have a particular preference for anyone interested in discussing their thoughts on various medical issues. 

This doesn’t only mean people with a professional medical background, as it can also include those who’ve suffered from an illness in the past and are willing to share their thoughts on various aspects relating to this.

It’s also worth mentioning that Focus Group by Schlesinger reviews, as this company is now more commonly known after it was bought out by Schlesinger, aren’t always amazing. That said, a lot of these seem to arise from some confusion by those who filled in their profiles and thought that this automatically qualified them to do paid market research. 

Just be aware that that’s not the case for any company that runs paid focus groups – and the reviews of this company for people who did actually do some of their surveys are generally positive in terms of how much and when you’re paid.

11. Mindswarms

Mindswarms takes full advantage of the fact that we all have phones with cameras by having participants answer market research questions by simply filming themselves then uploading their responses to the Mindswarms app.

This is much easier than having to attend an online focus group at a set time, as you can be as flexible as you want in terms of when you record and share your opinions.

It’s also very quick, as you’ll only ever have to answer up to seven questions in one go, allowing you to earn $50 for doing this.

12. Survey Feeds

Survey Feeds may not have the fanciest looking website on this list, but it has some incredible payouts for participating in a paid focus group.

These are offered both online and, in some cases, in-person, with the rates being among the highest you’ll see in this field. Standard rates are up to around $175 for a one-hour session but, as you can see below, they also have offers for you to earn $500 for a 60-minute in-person survey.

And you can even find the occasional one that will pay you $2,000 for a two-day market research workshop, as well as travel costs.

13. Find Focus Groups

Find Focus Groups has been around since 2006 and claims to have listed over 70,000 legitimate focus groups in the US.

They offer the chance to discuss your thoughts on all sorts of topics, including finance, travel, video games, food, sports and more.

You can search by city or state to find paid focus groups near you on their site. There are also options for those aged from 16 years old, for any teens looking to make money .

Related: 29 Legit Online Jobs for Teens to Make Serious Money

14. FocusGroups.org

FocusGroups.org has focus group opportunities in more than 47 cities around the US, allowing you to earn up to $250 per group. In fact, they say that they’ve paid out over $16.5 million to participants.

You don’t even need to create a profile to see the paid focus groups near you, as you can simply click on your city on their homepage to see what each group will discuss and the payout.

15. Apex Focus Group

Apex Focus Group is essentially a search engine for different paid focus groups being offered around the US. While some of these are online, many of them let you find focus groups near you given that they all list any location requirements.

Almost all of them pay well in excess of $100, with several paying between $300 and $400 for your participation in what are mostly consumer-related questions.

Find out more in our Apex Focus Group review .

16. Fieldwork

Fieldwork focuses on consumer-related questions, so if you’re interested in doing a paid focus group where you talk about the clothes you buy or the banks where you have accounts, this could be for you.

They have a list of cities in the US where they hold in-person focus groups. However, if you don’t live in one of these cities, you can also register to join their National Database for when they need focus group participants who aren’t located in a particular place.

17. Craigslist

From time to time, you can find paid focus groups on Craigslist. These are often with legitimate companies who aim to get a wider range of people by advertising on there.

Of course, as with all things Craigslist, make sure you check what’s involved before going somewhere in-person for this.

18. Facebook

Facebook can be great for finding out about opportunities to join paid focus groups. For example, the Find Focus Groups page lists all of their recently added opportunities for which they need participants.

By following these pages, you’ll increase your chances of seeing it and applying before anyone else.

More focus group panels to do high paid market research online

If the options above aren’t quite enough for you, then there are plenty of other sites offering opportunities to do focus group surveys that pay!

Check out the list below for some extra options to do focus groups online for money.

• Brand Institute
• Experience Dynamics
• Field Voices
• Focus Group
• GLG Insights
• Maru Springboard America
• Plaza Research
• Probe Market Research
• SIS International
• Survey Squad
• 2020 Research

How much do focus groups pay?

While rates will vary, most focus groups pay anywhere between $25 to $150 per session. The amount you’ll receive will depend on how long the session takes and the level of expertise required to participate, with some even offering up to $450 per hour for your time.

If you attend an in-person focus group, you could also get some money to cover your transport costs and, if the session takes more than a few hours, even some money for food.

Based on my experience, the sites with the most frequent availability of high-paying focus groups are Survey Junkie (up to $150) and Respondent (up to $250).

While some there are some high paid market research opportunities that do pay more from time to time, they don’t tend to have offers available as frequently as these two. That means that you tend to earn more over time with these sites.

The ones that pay more generally require you to have some specific expertise in a certain area. It’s worth noting though that these aren’t the norm and so don’t expect these to become available all the time.

Most companies that hold pay focus groups pay via check, bank transfer or as PayPal cash . In some cases, especially with online focus groups that pay, you may get paid with a gift card for companies like Amazon, Visa or even PayPal which is, in effect, getting paid in cash.

In the case of a few sites, you’ll earn points instead of straight up cash. Those points can also be exchanged for gift cards.

Related: 43 Amazing Under the Table Jobs that Pay Cash

Can you make a living doing focus groups?

Doing paid focus groups is great to earn some extra cash, but it’s going to be difficult to make a living doing this. This is because while some market research groups do pay well as an hourly rate, it’s generally not going to be enough to replace your main source of income.

This is why your goal in doing paid focus groups shouldn’t be to make a living. Instead, it’s a great way to make some extra cash in addition to your more consistent ways of making money.

Are $350 surveys real?

The possibility of doing $350 surveys is definitely real, although it’s good to keep in mind that this isn’t a standard rate. Instead, these tend to only be available to people with specific expertise in a certain area who thus need to be paid for their experience.

It’s much more likely that you’ll earn anywhere between $25 and $150 for doing paid focus groups. Only in some very specialized cases can you earn much more than this, although these definitely can go up to and even exceed $350.

It’s also worth highlighting the fact that these great earning rates apply to paid focus groups, not the kind of surveys you’ll find in apps. While those surveys can be a very good way to make a few extra dollars, especially at times when you’d probably just be wasting time on your phone anyway, you’re more likely to make $3.50 from these rather than $350.

What is a paid focus group?

A paid focus group is a small group of people who earn money in exchange for providing their opinions on a particular topic, such as for market research or political analysis. The aim is to use this information to determine the position of the general population on these same issues.

Focus groups can be conducted either online or in-person, but generally aim to have a diverse set of people participating. This is so that the company doing the research can have as wide a range of opinions represented in their findings as possible.

What is an example of a focus group?

An example of a focus group is one that’s held prior to the launch of a new product. In doing this, the company developing the product is able to gauge the general public’s opinion on issues relating to the product, including any marketing campaigns surrounding this.

The people participating in a high paid market research focus group like this won’t only be asked about the new product itself. They may also be asked about any competitors, such as their opinion on these competitors, whether they’ve used any competing products and what made them choose to use that specific competing product (or not, as the case may be).

Focus group participants may also be asked for their opinions on advertisements, either for the product in question or other similar ones.

By doing this, it helps a company to shape both the product and the marketing around it to suit their target audience before the actual launch.

How do focus groups work in-person?

Focus groups that are held in person are undertaken by having you and the other participants come to a venue to discuss a particular topic together. Usually, there will be a moderator in the room guiding the discussion and taking notes.

Their job isn’t to encourage you to have a certain opinion. Instead, they simply want to hear your thoughts on each of the different questions they want the discussion to cover.

You’ll often be sharing your thoughts as part of a group in the same room, meaning you’re able to discuss your opinions with the other participants to hear what they have to say and vice versa.

Not all in-person focus groups take place over just one session. However, if you’re asked to come a few times, you’ll also be paid for each session you attend.

How do online focus groups work?

Online focus groups work in a similar way to in-person focus groups, except that you join via an online platform. You’ll often be asked to do this with your webcam turned on, meaning that everyone can see you and discuss the various questions essentially the same way as they would in-person.

Expect to receive a link to access the discussion in the days before the focus group session. This may be using more generic software, like Skype, but some paid market research companies do have their own applications they ask you to use.

You’re also likely to be recorded if you join any online focus groups that pay, although this is also similar to what happens during in-person focus groups as well.

Online focus groups are becoming more popular these days for doing paid market research, as it’s much cheaper and logistically easier than trying to get everyone into one room. It also allows for a more diverse range of opinions, as people can join from literally anywhere in the world. This clearly compares to in-person focus groups, which have to generally be limited to those who are within driving distance of the venue.

Pros and cons of doing focus groups for money

When looking at the pros and cons of doing focus groups for money, the advantages include the following:

• It’s a quick way to make a good amount of money. It’s rare to find a side hustle that can make money in one hour (up to $150!), but doing paid focus groups definitely meets that criteria.
• It’s fun to talk about your opinions. Most people like to talk about what they think, so the fact that you can actually get paid well for this is just icing on the cake.
• Your opinions can have an actual impact. By doing paid focus groups, these companies use this information to shape consumer and political action going forward. It can definitely be nice to know you have that kind of influence.

That said, there are some disadvantages in using focus groups as a way to make money that are worth considering. In particular:

• It’s not a steady way to make extra money. While the hourly rate of doing paid focus groups is amazing, it’s difficult to do this consistently. With paid market research companies often looking for a specific demographic, you’re not always going to qualify, meaning you can’t rely on this as an extra source of income.
• It can be hard to find paid focus groups that actually pay well. While there are plenty of options out there to earn good money doing this, there are also a lot of companies that try to undercharge. It can be tempting to accept any focus group opportunity in the hope of making some money, but make sure you know what your time is worth.
• The process of getting accepted into a focus group can be frustrating. Basically all of the sites advertising paid focus group opportunities require you to apply to participate – which you can only do if you meet some prerequisites. Even ticking off all the initial criteria doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be accepted, meaning it can get pretty frustrating when you want to make money in this way but don’t seem to be able to crack the code.

Are paid focus groups legitimate?

Paid focus groups are definitely a legitimate way to make money. There are dozens of major market research companies out there that rely on focus groups for shaping their customers’ activities, which means they pay very well for you to participate in these.

This doesn’t mean that all companies that run paid focus groups are legitimate, of course. Some do try to undercharge, which is why the list in this article focuses only on those that are known to be legitimate, including in how they treat participants.

Given that you can be paid upwards of $150 for only an hour of your time, this is clearly an hourly rate that you’re not going to get everywhere. In addition, by sticking to the market research companies on this list, you can be assured that they’re reliable and that you’ll actually get paid each time.

How do you find focus groups?

You can find focus groups by signing up with companies that make paid market research opportunities available and completing your profile. This is because, even if they have open focus groups currently, you will generally only be accepted if you are in their target demographic .

This is why it’s a good idea to sign up for as many of the best focus group websites and focus group companies as you can. By doing that, you’re making yourself available for as many focus groups as possible, in allowing these companies to check your personal characteristics and determine if you’re a fit.

Of course, you should also do your own research to make sure you’re comfortable sharing this information with each company. A simple Google search is usually a great start to see other people’s reviews on their own experiences doing paid focus groups with these companies. Checking these companies’ social media profiles can also really help.

How to join a focus group

To join a focus group, you must first complete your profile with the relevant company and then apply to join available focus group opportunities. The researcher will review your profile to see if you’re in the target demographic, so you may be contacted for more details about yourself.

Paid focus groups often need a wide variety of people to ensure they’re getting the broadest range of opinions possible. This is why they need this information about you – to make sure you’re the right fit and not waste your or their time.

How do you get picked for focus groups?

To get picked for a focus group, make sure your profile is as complete as possible. That way, researchers will easily be able to tell if you’re a good fit for their group. You should also apply for as many as possible to give yourself the best chance of success.

Researchers are just as busy as the rest of us, so they don’t have time to stare at your profile for a while and wonder if you tick all of their boxes. Instead, they’re much more likely to quickly check your details and, if anything is missing or not clear, just skip over you for someone else who’s been more detailed about who they are.

The other tip to get picked for focus groups is simple: you gotta be in it to win it. Simply applying for a paid focus group definitely doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted, so the more you voluneer for, the more likely it is you’ll be selected.

Are focus groups good for making money?

Doing paid focus groups is definitely a great way to make some extra money. The hourly rate is almost unmatched and there’s no question that it’s fun to talk about what you think with a captive audience. However, it isn’t a consistent way to increase your income.

That is, the biggest downside in treating paid focus groups as a side hustle is a lack of consistency in terms of your earnings. It’s almost impossible to guarantee that you’ll qualify for participating in one of these groups every week, for example as it’s so dependent on what paid market research is needed – and, in particular, from who.

No matter how great your experience has been in participating in paid focus groups previously, if you’re not in the demographic they’re looking for in a specific session, you’re not going to be able to participate in the next one. This can be pretty frustrating, especially if you’ve had success before doing paid focus groups and making serious money doing this.

This is why I recommend that while paid focus groups are great for making money, treat it just as one of your side hustles, not your main one. That way, you’ll be sure that you have as much money coming in as possible – and if you happen to qualify for a well-paying focus group at any point, then even better!

Anna is the founder of LogicalDollar and a personal finance expert, having been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Reader’s Digest, Bankrate, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, CreditCards.com and many more. With more than 10 years of experience in the financial and legal industries, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in these fields, as well as her own journey in turning $60,000 in debt into a thriving investment portfolio, she’s committed to helping others get on the path to financial freedom.

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Extra Money

20 Best Online Focus Groups in 2024

Sireesha Narumanchi | Published: March 21, 2023 | Updated: July 26, 2024

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS – IF YOU CLICK A LINK AND MAKE A PURCHASE, I MAY RECEIVE A COMMISSION AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY  DISCLOSURE .

You must have come across paid research studies if you have ever searched for extra income options.

These are a step-up from survey sites and require more participation, but they pay well.

Research studies are one of the many side hustles that are worth your time for the following reasons:

• They pay well (depending on the study).
• They are “quick money” gigs.
• The studies are quite extensive and interesting.

Though they are a good way to earn money on the side, you should tread carefully when taking part in paid research studies. There are many scams out there claiming to be legit. Always sign up with trusted and legitimate market research companies.

If you are ready to part with a good amount of your time for money—definitely more than your typical surveys—you can look into research studies. 

Survey Junkie

Make money by sharing your opinion! Survey Junkie rewards you for taking surveys and testing products. Get free gift cards or cash!

20 Paid Research Studies You Can Do for Extra Money

#1. user interviews.

User Interviews

Participate in research studies and earn extra cash in your free time! User Interviews has paid over $25 million in rewards to its members till now. It’s simple: sign up, give your opinion, and get paid.

User Interviews is one of the more popular websites for participating in paid research studies online. It has many types of studies available including in-person interviews, phone interviews, multiday studies, etc. The studies can pay up to $150, depending on the duration and the type of study.

You can sign up on the website, and once you pass the screening survey, you can participate in the study you are interested in. User Interviews is available in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, and South Africa.

Recommended reading:

• Is User Interviews Legit? My Honest Review

Up to $150 per study. 

#2. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a popular survey panel often has product research studies available. In addition to high-paying surveys, Survey Junkie offers product testing, in-person focus groups, and phone surveys. The pay may range anywhere from $50 to $150 for these opportunities.

The best thing about Survey Junkie is it’s a legit survey panel with loads of extra income options like surveys and product testing. Just sign up and get started.

Can pay up to $50 to $150 per study. 

#3. Fieldwork

Fieldwork is another market research company that has paid research studies in 11 locations in the US, like San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, New York City, Minneapolis, and more. Even if you don’t live near these cities, you can still register in the company’s database to get phone or online studies. Fieldwork has different types of studies, including taste tests, product trials, shop-along reviews, etc.

The discussions range from 1 to 2 hours, and the pay is around $75 or more for one to two hours.

#4. Mindswarms

Mindswarms is a market research company that pays its participants to share their views about products and services via video. You can record your answers on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Once you sign up, you can apply for studies in your dashboard. After some screening questions, if you are selected, you can record your answers through video.

You get $50 for answering 10 questions about products, and payments are made via PayPal.

• 23 Product Tester Jobs from Home in 2024 (Extra Money & Free Stuff)
• 20 Best Sign-up Bonus Apps for Free Money in 2024
• 31 Clever Ways to Make Money Doing Nothing (Updated 2024)

#5. Respondent

Respondent is another research study website that has many paid research interviews available. This website works similarly to User Interviews. You can sign up online and choose the studies via the website or through email invitations. Once you go through the screening surveys, you can proceed with the study.

The pay is usually around $120 per study and is made via PayPal. Keep in mind that Respondent takes a cut of 5% from the pay.

#6. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) has been around for a long time and is a trusted website for surveys and research studies. This survey panel is available worldwide, and it sends you invites for studies whenever they are available. Unlike other websites, American Consumer Opinion only pays in points.

You can accrue anywhere from 50 to 5,000 points for surveys depending on their length, which can be redeemed for cash via PayPal. You can also enter into sweepstakes or donate to charity.

Pay depends on the study.

#7. Inspired Opinions

Inspired Opinions is backed by the Schlesinger Group and has many diverse market research studies including in-person interviews, telephone interviews, online surveys, etc. It is available in the US, the UK, Spain, and Germany.

The in-person studies pay up to $100 for two hours, and the online surveys are paid in points that can be redeemed for Amazon e-vouchers.

#8. Engage in Depth

Engage in Depth has paid research studies for two demographics: general consumer/business professionals and medical/healthcare community members. Their studies range from in-person, telephone interviews to online, video and mobile studies.

You can sign up from anywhere globally.

The pay can go up to $200, depending on the study. Payments are made via virtual gift card after 5 to 7 days.

#9. Probe Market Research

Probe Market Research offers online and phone interviews as well as in-person studies. Once you fill out the online form with all the required information, the company will contact you if suitable studies come up.

The pay is usually between $50 and $400, depending on the study.

#10. Brand Institute

Brand Institute has regular studies available in pharmaceutical and market research areas. You can sign up with your details and get email invites for new studies.

It accepts participants from all over the world.

The pay depends on the type and length of the studies.

#11. watchLAB

watchLAB offers paid focus groups, telephone and in-person interviews, and online studies. You can sign up online and get email invites, or check its Facebook page for new studies.

If you pass the screening questions, you can go ahead with the study. Online study payments are made via checks.

Up to $50 to $100 per study.

#12. Plaza Research

Another website that provides various market research studies is Plaza Research . It has focus groups , online surveys, and telephone and in-home interviews.

It mainly looks for consumers, parents, kids/teens, students, physicians, and business professionals.

The payment depends on the length and type of study.

Universities Offering Paid Online Research Studies:

#1. carnegie mellon university.

You can participate in online or in-person studies conducted by Carnegie Mellon University . The length of an online study ranges from five minutes to one hour.

Type of studies: Personal attitudes and beliefs, human judgment and decision-making, preferences, interpersonal perceptions, group performance, interaction with computers and machines, and public policy perceptions.

Payment usually averages around $8 per hour for online studies, or participants may be entered into a lottery to win a larger prize. In-person studies pay around $10 per hour.

#2. MIT Behavioral Research Lab

The Behavioral Research Lab of MIT has many studies available, and you need to sign up online before you get started. If you are 18 years of age or over, live in the US, and speak and write English without difficulty, you can join the participant pool.

It offers both in-person and online studies.

The pay is around $11–$20/hour for online studies and $15–$25/hour for in-person studies.

#3. Yale School of Management

Yale School of Management has both online and in-person studies. You can sign up to be considered for upcoming studies or like its Facebook page to learn about new studies.

The payment is usually cash or Amazon gift cards.

#4. Harvard University Psychology Study Pool

You can participate in online studies with Harvard University Psychology Study Pool . Participants must be aged between 12 and 99 years old. Credit studies are for Harvard students, and payment studies are open for anyone.

Payment goes up to $25 per hour and is paid through gift cards.

#5. Stanford Graduate School of Business

Stanford Graduate School of Business recruits participants for in-person or online studies. You must be 18 years or older and complete a prescreen form to participate. You can sign up for these studies even if you are not a US citizen.

Average pay is up to $25 paid in cash or gift cards.

#6. The University of Texas at Austin Department of Psychology

This university has many in-person paid medical studies available; you can check them out here . They are suitable for current students and others as well.

Pay ranges from $20 to $150, depending on the study.

#7. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior has studies related to brain functioning and behavior. It has both adult and child studies, and you can sign up online.

The pay is up to $100 per study.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can you find research studies online.

You can find many research study opportunities with the companies listed above. Always go with trusted and legit websites when looking for paid studies.

How much can you get paid for research studies?

There are many types of research studies; they can be in-person, online, over the phone, etc. How much you earn depends on the type of study and the duration.

They can range anywhere from $5 to $200 per study.

Are paid studies legit?

Yes, they are legit and pay well. Sign up for the right ones with all your details and respond to the invites on time.  Keep in mind that standard research studies take more time and involvement than surveys. The upside is they pay more.

High-Paying Alternatives to Focus Groups

If you want a more stable income and want to do it flexibly, here are some of the best alternatives :

#1. Proofreading

Got a keen eye for detail? Love correcting errors in documents? Then proofreading might be a perfect fit for you. This is a high-paying job that has the potential to become a profitable business. If you are keen to give this a try, check out  this workshop , where you will discover the skills needed to become a proofreader from home.

• 51 Best Proofreading Online Jobs for Beginners & Pros (Pay, Requirements)

#2. Blogging

Blogging is an excellent way to make extra income entirely online, and the best part is that it is quite flexible, and you can do it along with a full-time job. I am making around  $5,000 a month  blogging part-time, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for extra income online. I have a super easy-to-follow a  step-by-step guide  to starting your own money-making blog.

• Top 8 Reasons You Should Start Blogging Today
• How to Make Over $4,000/Month Working from Home

#3. Bookkeeper

I know you might be thinking this job might be for accountants or people with experience in bookkeeping. It’s not. You can be a work-at-home bookkeeper without any experience. Bookkeeper  is a perfect online work option, giving you extra income. If this is something you are looking for, then check out this detailed   post   about bookkeeping .

• 15 Companies for Remote Accounting Jobs in 2024

Final Thoughts 

If you are looking for ways to earn money from home or to do side gigs without any commitment, participating in research studies for money is a great choice. Paid research studies are great extra income earners if you have some free time on hand. Just take care to sign up only for authentic studies and choose only the ones that suit you.

About Sireesha Narumanchi

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20+ Best Focus Groups For Money – Find Paid Market Research Opportunities!

In-person and online focus groups are an incredible side hustle opportunity. And I've actually been making money for the last couple of years by taking part in different market research groups.

Unlike survey sites , focus group opportunities often pay $50 to $100+ per hour. Plus, you get to take part in interesting research and studies in a variety of fields.

However, not all focus groups are the same. And some are downright scams or aren't worth your time. This is why I'm sharing some of the best paid focus groups you can use to start earning today!

The Best Focus Groups For Money

Table of Contents

1. User Interviews

User Interviews is my favorite paid online focus group. I've been using it since 2022, and I've completed studies on it before and have always been paid on time.

The company has over 2,000 focus group studies per month. Pinterest, Adobe, Spotify, and Wayfair are just a few of the recognizable brand names that have partnered with User Interviews.

The signup process is also painless. Just create an account with your email and then answer a demographic and career questionnaire to help match you to the best focus groups.

One thing that’s great about User Interviews is the search page. You can immediately see how much focus groups pay, their date, how long they take, and a description of what's involved.

Some studies and focus groups are quite generic, like seeking participants to give feedback for a product. These usually pay $10. But you can find more niche focus groups easily paying $50 to $100 upon completion.

For example, one I completed recently paid me $65 for a 45 minute study. All I had to do was give feedback on a new design tool for business cards, which was pretty fun!

You have to apply to focus groups which involves completing a short screener. But if you get accepted, this is an excellent way to get free money and gift cards in exchange for your feedback and opinions.

👉 Start earning with User Interviews!

2. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a leading survey website where you can share your opinion to get paid.

It's free to sign up for and is available in North America and Australia. I've used it for years, and it's one of the highest-paying survey websites in the business.

Most surveys on Survey Junkie pay $0.50 to $1 or $2. But you can sometimes find longer surveys that pay more. The company also has occasional product testing or paid market research opportunities.

This is certainly more of a survey site than paid online focus group. However, you can cash out with PayPal or free gift cards at only $5, so it's a nice way to get quick money .

👉 Start earning with Survey Junkie!

3. Respondent

Respondent is another amazing way to get paid to be in a focus group. And this is also our favorite User Interviews alternative.

The platform is super easy to use. Simply sign up for free as a focus group participant and complete a demographic questionnaire. You can then browse and apply to available studies and focus groups.

In our experience, focus groups and paid market research studies pay anywhere from $10 to $150 per hour or completion. There's also in-person, phone, and Zoom-call focus groups too.

The best part about Respondent is that the very niche studies can pay hundreds of dollars. Many studies look for certain career professionals or business owners too, so keep this in mind.

4. Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys , like Survey Junkie, lets you complete online surveys to earn cash and gift cards.

The site is free to join and is available in North America and the UK. It's a very easy way to earn money online , and you only need $5 to cash out.

Most surveys you complete pay $0.50 to $2.50. There's also a great loyalty program that pays bonus cash each month if you complete enough surveys.

My advice is to use Branded Surveys in the downtime you have while searching for paid focus groups. The hourly pay is lower, but it's easier to make money consistently since there are almost always available surveys.

👉 Try out Branded Surveys!

5. FocusGroup.com  

FocusGroup.com offers (as the name suggests) focus groups as well as surveys and on-the-go tasks like mystery shopping gigs .

Signing up is similar to other paid online focus group websites. You have to answer some questions about yourself, including demographic and career questions. This takes a bit of time, but it's the only way to unlock focus group opportunities and not just cash surveys .

Some FocusGroup.com opportunities pay $100 to $300 or more. However, the downside is it generally takes a long time to match and qualify for an opporutnity.

We filled out our personal survey to test out FocusGroup.com. We still haven't been matched to any focus groups or studies, only surveys. So, this site isn't a consistent money-maker, although it does pay participants well.

Check out our FocusGroup.com review for all the details!

6. Rare Patient Voice

Rare Patient Voice is one of the best paid focus group websites for patients with rare conditions or their caregivers.

This site lets you take part in both webcam and phone interviews. And it's available in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, and France.

Rare Patient Voice pays up to $120 per hour to both caregivers and patients. This is one of the higher rates out there. You can also get paid $20 for taking part in a screening, since screenings generally take a bit of time.

If you have any type of condition, even if it's not the most rare, Rare Patient Voice is worth checking out. The same goes if you work in health services or are a caregiver.

7. Field Voices

Field Voices is another popular focus group side hustle you can try out. And we like it since it has both in-person and online focus groups you can participate in.

It's also a very lucrative side hustle . For example, when we checked them out they were calling for applicants to a 4-hour in-person workshop in Plano, Texas in return for a $300 Visa gift card. The other paid market research group was a 3-day focus group on meeting your healthcare needs, in return for a $350 Visa gift card.

Like other websites, you have to submit some personal information to Field Voices when applying. Many focus groups look for specific demographics or job types, so you won't get accepted every time. But the pay is quite high if you end up getting approved for a study or focus group.

8. Lightster

Lightster is a money making app where you get to share your opinions with different companies to get paid.

The platform works with massive companies like Google, Best Buy, Sephora, and Microsoft. Once you sign up and complete your profile, you can then get receive questions from brands and creators who want your insights. As you answer questions and have a conversation, you get paid.

This is a unique way to get paid for your advice . And what's nice is that after you complete your profile, researchers and companies reach out to you, so you don't have to hustle and endlessly apply to focus groups.

Payments vary, but you can earn up to $1 per minute. As for rewards. Lightster offers free Amazon gift cards , PayPal cash, or Wise payments.

9. Fieldwork

Fieldwork is another popular paid market research company that's looking for consumers, business professionals, patients, and healthcare professionals right now.

You can create a profile on its website and then complete your profile to get started. You can then receive studies and focus groups to take part. There's one-on-one interviews, virtual sessions, and even at-home studies researching a wide range of topics.

Compensation is fixed at $75 per hour and payment is made with virtual gift cards. Unlink some of the other options listed here, Fieldwork will reach out to you via phone or email about opportunities that might be a good fit.

10. L&E Opinions

L&E has 1.7 million participants and paid out nearly $9 million in 2023. When we signed up, they said there were 205 active studies available. There are also specific medical and B2B panels where patients, caregivers, and business owners can find better-paying focus groups.

According to their website, some medical and business focus groups can pay up to $1,500 (you read that right) depending on position in the organization…all for one hour. Wow…bet you’re wishing you went to med school now, or worked your way up the corporate ladder!

As for the rest of us, focus groups pay quite well. One thing we love about L&E over some of the other choices is that the displayed list of available studies is very transparent. You’ll see the exact range of compensation, the location (nationwide is what you want), age range, gender, and description. You still need to complete pre-screening questionnaires, but they’re all within the L&E website and relatively painless.

Extra Reading – How To Make $200 Fast .

11. Recruit & Field

R&F gleans consumer insights for companies like Apple, Netflix, GMC, and Clinique. The website is a little more lo-fi than some of the others, but that’s okay. After a quick introductory signup, you just fill out a list of demographic information to get matched focus group opportunities.

Payment for participation in groups typically falls between $100 and $275 per session. The sign-up questionnaire takes a while to fill out. But considering these payouts, the effort is worth it.

However, Recruit & Field doesn't have a page to browse paid focus groups. Rather, it’s a targeted research group that reaches out to you. For this reason, you should take the questions seriously.

12. Experience Dynamics

Experience Dynamics specifically focuses on UX, or user design. And this is a way to get paid to test websites and then give your feedback on them

Compensation generally ranges from $50 to $150. Some tasks require one sitting, while others involve a “diary” type of process where you record your experience over a few days or weeks.

This is more involved than using usability testing platforms like UserTesting or PlaytestCloud . However, the pay is much higher since you have to put in more effort.

Even More Focus Group Side Hustles To Try

The above options are some of our favorite ways to make money with focus groups. But you can try even more websites and research studies that pay to maximize your opportunities, including:

• Pinecone Research
• American Consumer Opinions
• Probe Market Research
• Product Report Card
• SurveyFeeds
• FocusInsite
• GLC Insights
• PRC Market Research
• Inspired Opinions

👉 The 25+ Highest Paying Apps To Try .

How Much Can You Make With Paid Focus Groups?

How much you earn with paid focus groups largely depends on how many opportunities you qualify for. Payment per hour also varies depending on the company, type of focus group, and how niche a particular study is. But participants can generally expect to earn at least $50 to $100 per hour.

For example, my latest User Interviews test paid me $65 for 45 minutes. And some of my friends have taken part in multi-day studies paying several hundred dollars.

Ultimately, this isn't a full-time online job . Income can be very inconsistent, so apply to focus group opportunities but don't expect a steady paycheck.

How Can I Find Focus Groups Near Me?

Many focus group and market research groups offer in-person studies alongside phone and online webcam studies. So, you can search for nearby paid focus groups if you use the websites we've listed above.

Just note that larger cities generally have more paid market research opportunities than small towns and rural areas.

How To Avoid Focus Group Scams

There are many paid focus group scams out there or companies that try to steal personal information from participants. And some companies, like Apex Focus Group , just consolidate focus group opportunities but don't run studies themselves.

Ultimately, we suggest sticking with reputable companies that have a proven track record of paying participants. Reference data like Trustpilot scores, Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings, and social media reviews or comments when choosing a focus group company.

Extra Reading – The Top Online Jobs Paying Weekly .

Final Thoughts

These are some of the best paid focus groups we could find. And if you snag a few studies per year, you could be looking at hundreds or thousands of dollars in additional income.

Also note that there are so many market research studies out there that pay. This list is a great way to get started. But don't be afraid to search around your city for more market research surveys and studies.

Of course, you can always make money right away with gpt sites or other digital side hustles that are more consistent. But we think applying to a few focus group websites is a good idea. After all, you never know which studies you'll get into. So, a big payday could be around the corner!

Want even more ideas to earn? Checkout :

• The Best Work From Phone Jobs .
• The Best Websites Like UserTesting .
• The Best Microtask Websites .

Tom is a full-time blogger and freelance writer with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and making money online. His work has appeared on dozens of personal finance websites like Money Crashers, The College Investor, Forbes, and more.

Tom also founded the blog This Online World - a finance site dedicated to helping people make money online - in 2018. After 6 years, that site merged with WebMonkey, with the goal of helping even more people earn their first dollar of online income.

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15 Legitimate Places to Participate in Paid Research Studies

Our readers always come first.

The content on DollarSprout includes links to our advertising partners. When you read our content and click on one of our partners’ links, and then decide to complete an offer — whether it’s downloading an app, opening an account, or some other action — we may earn a commission from that advertiser, at no extra cost to you.

Our ultimate goal is to educate and inform, not lure you into signing up for certain offers. Compensation from our partners may impact what products we cover and where they appear on the site, but does not have any impact on the objectivity of our reviews or advice.

From testing products and services to sleep and diet studies, here's a list of vetted places you can participate in paid focus groups.

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A few years ago, I got an invitation to attend a research study hosted by a local skincare company. They were launching a new line of products and wanted feedback from 20 to 25 year-old-women with dry skin.

Since I was a new college grad who needed extra cash, I decided to go. They asked me various questions regarding my current skincare regimen, the products I used, and how I felt about them. It only took an hour, and I got a $75 Visa gift card and a few product samples. Not a bad way to kill an hour.

If you like the idea of getting paid to share your opinions, you’re in luck. There are plenty of places that host paid research studies. While the study I did was in-person, there are many online research studies you can do at home.

Websites That Offer Paid Research Studies

You can find online focus groups that’ll pay you for your time and feedback through a variety of websites. Each site has its own requirements and payment structure, so it’s a good idea to explore all the options available.

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a survey site that’s been around since 2005. It will pay you to take surveys and express your opinions to big brands who want to improve their products and services. After you answer several questions about yourself and create a profile, the site will match you to surveys that are relevant to you.

Any time you complete a survey, you’ll earn virtual points, which you can redeem for PayPal cash or online gift cards. Most surveys take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, and you can expect to make between 100 to 200 points or $1 to $3 per survey. You won’t have to buy any products or sign up for other websites.

2. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion is a survey panel that partners with large companies who want customer opinions. To join, you’ll enter basic information such as your age and where you live. Then, you’ll take a general household survey where you’ll share details about your lifestyle.

You’ll likely receive survey invitations via email several times a year. The number of points you’ll rack up will depend on the length of the surveys.

While short surveys are typically worth anywhere between 5 and 50 points, you can earn up to 5,000 points with longer ones. One point equals $0.01, and you can cash your points in for PayPal cash or donate them to charity.

Related: 17 Best Places to Take Paid Online Surveys for Money

3. Respondent

Respondent is unique because it organizes one-on-one paid research studies online and in person. You can sign up with your email address or via your Facebook or LinkedIn profile through the site.

Once you do, you’ll fill out some basic personal information such as your name, birthday, and email address. They’ll also ask for demographic details like your gender, ethnicity, and educational background.

After you’ve signed up, you’ll browse all of the “projects” available and details like the pay and how long they take to complete. When you see a project that interests you, you can apply to it through a short questionnaire. You’ll be emailed if the company chooses you for their project.

Most of the projects focus on small business or technology and pay anywhere from $50 to $85 via PayPal for 45 minutes to an hour of your time.

4. FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com began in 1988 and offers surveys as well as in-person and online focus groups via phone and webcam. After you create a profile, you’ll be emailed surveys and focus group invitations.

The majority of the site’s surveys and focus groups revolve around health and wellness, pet products, finances, and shopping habits.

You’ll earn between $75 and $150 if you participate in focus groups and points for surveys, which you can apply toward a prepaid Visa debit card. You can cash out 100 points for $1.00.

5. Plaza Research

Plaza Research pays parents, kids, teens, students, doctors, and business professionals to share their opinions on new products and services. It hosts surveys and a variety of in-person focus groups throughout the country.

If you attend a focus group, you’ll likely be asked to try a new product, watch a TV commercial, or discuss your thoughts about future products. To receive survey and focus group invitations, fill out an online form. The form will ask you questions about your education, electronic use, employment, household, pets, and more.

You’ll get an email if you’re a good fit for a survey or focus group. The amount you’ll earn depends on its length and scope. Most participants will earn between $50 and $200, paid via check, for two hours of their time.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

6. Mindswarms

You can create an account online or via the Mindswarms mobile app and get paid to answer questions via your smartphone or webcam.

After you apply to a survey that appeals to you, you’ll answer a few targeted questions to make sure you’re a good fit for it. If you are, you’ll answer seven questions and earn about $50. The money will be sent to your PayPal account within 24 hours. You can also redeem your earnings for an Amazon gift card.

7. Fieldwork

Fieldwork has facilitated marketing research studies since 1980. The company hosts in-person focus groups in 11 cities across the U.S. If you don’t live near any of these cities, you can still register for Fieldwork’s national database and participate in online or phone interviews.

To register, fill out an online questionnaire and wait for Fieldwork to call or email you when an opportunity is available. Most in-person focus groups last between one and two hours and can be on random topics such as cereal and video games. Compensation is usually a $75 Visa gift card.

8. User Interviews

User Interviews organizes focus groups in-person, via phone, or video streaming about products, services, and websites. For a chance to participate, create a profile with your birthday, gender, household income, marital status, and education level.

If you find a project that interests you, complete a short screener survey to see if you’re eligible. If you are, you can sign up for the focus group and earn an average of $50/hr. You’ll get paid via check.

9. Brand Institute

Brand Institute is a branding agency that supports healthcare and pharmaceutical companies with their marketing initiatives. You can become a Brand Institute panel member after you fill out a short online registration form. If you qualify for a paid research study, you’ll get an email notification and can participate right away.

Payment depends on the survey you take, and you’re more likely to receive invites for higher-paying surveys if you have a medical background. You can earn between $2 and $30 via check or PayPal. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others in healthcare report that they receive about four surveys a month.

Engage finds respondents for various market research and usability studies. It offers both in-person focus groups and online discussions for panel members. You can join the healthcare panel if you’re a medical professional or consumer panel if you’re an everyday consumer.

You’ll have to provide information about your income, marital status, education level, and job. Once you do, you’ll receive an email notification whenever you qualify for a study. Most studies cover topics like cars, electronics, food products, music, and medical conditions. They usually pay $50 to $250 via check or PayPal.

Universities that Facilitate Paid Focus Groups

  You can also find paid focus groups at colleges and universities. Many of them offer year-round opportunities and focus on psychology and human behavior. While most of these studies are performed online, a few require that you participate in person.

You don’t have to be a student to participate, and payment is typically in the form of PayPal cash, gift cards, or a check. If you’d like to earn money via college-run focus groups, take a look at the schools near your home. Their websites will likely include details about these types of opportunities.

• Purdue University ( See studies )
• Center for Decision Sciences Columbia Business School ( See studies )
• Northwestern University Department of Psychology ( See studies )
• Harvard University Psychology Study Pool ( See studies )
• MIT Behavioral Research Lab ( See studies )

DollarSprout co-founder Jeff Proctor participated in a six-week research study on high-fat diets at Virginia Tech. During the study, he was compensated with meals and $500.

“It was a great experience but very involved,” he said. “I had to check in every day to get weighed, choose my meals, and get several blood and urine samples taken.”

How to Tell if a Focus Group Opportunity is Legit

Even though many focus group opportunities are legitimate, there are plenty of work-from-home scams out there. If you have to pay to participate or reveal confidential information such as your Social Security number or credit card details, that’s a red flag. Stay away from any focus groups that force you to buy products or services or sign up for other websites.

If you find an opportunity that interests you, do some online research to make sure it’s valid. Check the Better Business Bureau to see its rating and read any complaints. This way you can avoid a situation where you get excited about a focus group and then find out it’s a scam.

A legitimate company will never charge you to attend a focus group or take a survey. In addition, they’ll have a privacy policy that’s prominently displayed on their website and will only email you from a business email account, rather than one from a free service like Gmail or Yahoo.

Related: How One Woman Earns $5,000 per Month as a Surrogate Mother 

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Help shape the future

Participating in paid market research studies allows you the unique opportunity to have an impact on how the products and services you encounter everyday are developed. From providing feedback on a TV pilot, to taste testing a new chip flavor, you’ll have the chance to influence the latest concepts in development by the world’s largest brands.

Signing up for an account is quick and secure, and your information will never be sold.

2. Participate

Participate online or in-person across a variety of topics and study types.

3. Get Paid

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Taylor Research is one of the oldest and most trusted U.S. research firms.

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Feedback is key

Honest, insightful user feedback is an essential factor in the product development process. Participate today and allow your unique viewpoint to be heard.

We value your time

Generous participation compensation is provided in exchange for your valuable time and opinions.

Many opportunities await

We help to conduct hundreds of in-person and online studies every year, all across the U.S.

Choose a panel

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Our primary research panel. Provide feedback on various consumer goods and services in development such as food, tech, and vehicles.

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For healthcare professionals to provide feedback on the development of medical devices, pharmaceuticals and treatment concepts.

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Business owners and executives can share their opinion on B2B services and products in development within their respective fields.

What people say

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EARN EXTRA CASH

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Found a study you’re interested in? Take the intake survey.

Your application will be reviewed. If you qualify, you will be invited to participate.

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After completing the focus group, you will be paid by either VISA card or check.

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We offer the following market research studies

Focus groups.

We publish 250-300 focus groups every month. Most pay between $50 - $200.

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testimonials

3 hours ago

I have attended a few focus groups which was interactive and was educational too! I enjoyed the group discussions and contributed as well! I would highly recommend it to anyone interested!

I suggest that you sign up for focus groups and see for yourself just have patience and will come up that you would be a perfect candidate for trust me.

10 hours ago

An awesome way to get paid and enjoy your job while giving and honest output that may make a difference

I’ve been doing these groups FOREVER!! They can really be fun sometimes! I’ve learned a lot about different products and industries from them. Just wish you could do more than one every 6 months!

12 hours ago

Not time consuming! Great way to give my opinion! And get paid to do it!

How To Become a Paid Market Research Participant

A job as a market research participant can be a rewarding side-hustle where you can get paid to offer your opinions on products and services.

In this era of online market research, it’s easier than ever to become a participant in research studies. You can often participate from the comfort of your own home using survey apps and websites and receive payments to your PayPal account, or by digital gift card.

In this guide, we present a comprehensive guide for how to become a market research participant and offer tips for how to make the most of this role.

What Does A Market Research Participant Do?

This data is collected by a market research company, is aggregated and anonymized and is then forwarded to its business client(s). These businesses will use this data to improve their existing products, tailor their marketing, and create new products and services.

Your personal data is collected and stored securely by these market research companies, and is never passed on to the end client in raw form, so you don’t have to worry about any breaches in your privacy.

Typically, you’ll participate by answering questions via forms hosted on websites or a mobile apps, although some market research companies conduct in-person user interviews such as focus groups.

How To Become a Market Research Participant: Step-By-Step Guide

This step-by-step guide will show you how to become a market research participant for a company that best suits your personal goals.

Step 1. Determine the type of research you want to participate in

There are different types of consumer research you may want to get involved with.

Online Surveys

Popular survey companies include:

• Branded Surveys – get a $1 joining bonus and cash out your survey earnings with just $5 in your account.
• Tellwut – not only offers you the opportunity to take surveys, but also the ability to create them. Earn gift cards and cash for your efforts.
• Survey Junkie – join 11 million members of this very popular online surveys community.

Focus Groups

Popular focus group companies include:

• Survey Junkie – offers online focus groups in addition to paid surveys. Earn cash rewards for participating.
• LEO Surveys – offers both online and offline focus group sessions. Earn cash or gift cards if you’re seelcted.
• Clear Voice Surveys – is a popular choice for people wanting to participate in focus groups. Visit their website for more details.

Product Testing

Popular product testing companies include:

• Pinecone Research – offers fairly frequent product testing opportunities where you can get paid to test products from your home.
• Opinion Outpost – also provides its users the ability to test products from home (in addition to paid research studies).
• YouGov – is a political polling expert that mainly offers online surveys, with some product tests.

Mobile Survey Apps

Popular companies that offer survey apps include:

• MobileXpression – offers a unique app where you can earn rewards passively by letting the app run your phone’s background. Get a $5 Amazon gift card after just one week.
• Marketagent – offers a slick mobile app which you can use to take surveys. Cash out your earnings via PayPal.
• Swagbucks – has a mobile app where you can participate in a wide variety of activities (taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, shopping, etc.) in exchange for cash and gift cards.

Mystery Shopping

Landing a mystery shopping assignment is by far the most difficult type of side hustle opportunity for a market research participant to get. There are far more applicants than assignments available out there, but if you’re fortunate, you may be selected for an opportunity in your local city.

Popular companies that offer mystery shopping assignments include:

• TGM Panel – offers periodic mystery shopping assignments. Sign up to take surveys and participate periodically to be eligible for mystery shops.
• QuickThoughts – is a mobile app that will connect you with mystery shopping assignments available in your area, in addition to paid survey studies.

It’s important to decide what type of market research you want to participate in when choosing which company to sign up for.

Some companies only offer one type of market research while others will give you the opportunity to take part in several different types of research study projects.

Paid surveys are the most common and convenient type of market research offered, but they also tend to pay the least. Sometimes, you’ll need to build your experience answering surveys for a particular company, before you’re offered the chance to get involved with other more extensive (and better paying) research products, so although not always highly remunerative, being a market research participant in online surveys may lead to bigger things.

Step 2. Determine the type of rewards you want

Different market research companies will reward their participants in different ways.

Typically, you’ll be rewarded in credits for every project you complete, which you can then choose to convert into a reward of your choice.

The most common types of rewards offered are PayPal payments , Amazon gift cards or gift vouchers to other major retailers. However, many companies will pay their research participants via other methods, such by bank transfer, in virtual Visa cards , cryptocurrency (including Bitcoin ) or charity donations.

The best market research participant jobs will offer a wide variety of options for rewarding their members, or will offer rewards that are actually useful (like cash, vs a magazine subscription). It’s also important to take note of the speed at which rewards are issued. Some inferior companies take weeks to issue payments after claimed. Still others will require you to reach a high threshold of credits before they pay out.

Companies offering unique rewards:

• SuperPay.me offers a super-low cash out minimum of $1.00 and a $0.20 joining bonus.
• PrizeRebel offers hundreds of different rewards options ranging from cash options to gift cards.
• MySoapBox offers payment in Bitcoin or via gift cards from tons of different retailers.

Step 3. Choose the most relevant market research company

Some smaller companies don’t have enough clients to offer as many projects as their participants would like, so it may take longer to earn your first payment.

It’s recommended to choose a company based in your home country, as these will often have more clients looking for opinions from people living there.

There are international companies accepting members from all over the world, but these will usually also mostly be looking for opinions from specific countries.

Refer to our country-specific list of survey sites that will connect you with market research companies available in your area.

Step 4. Get started

The registration process for becoming a participant with an online market research company is a simple process that typically only takes a few minutes. To start, you’ll be asked for your email address, date of birth and your address. Some companies allow you to enter more details about yourself in your profile, which can help you become eligible for more projects.

Once you’re signed up, you’ll be able to start applying for projects and earning credits straight away. Log in to your account to find a list of opportunities available to you, or wait to be invited to projects via e-mail.

Happy surveying!

Related posts:

• Paid Survey Panelist Tips and Tricks
• Best Survey Sites for 2023
• How to Find the Best Survey Sites

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SurveyPolice.com is the world's largest online survey reviews website. For over 15 years we have provided ratings on top online survey panels. Compare the best online survey websites and see which are worth joining!

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35 Paid Online Research Studies Seeking Participants

How can one participate in paid online research studies and get paid for your brain, your health, and your opinions?

• Inbox Dollars - Get paid to check your email. $5 bonus just for signing up!
• Survey Junkie - The #1 survey site that doesn't suck. Short surveys, high payouts, simply the best.
• Nielsen - Download their app and get paid $50!

Well, you’re in the right place.

Today, let’s look at 35 different opportunities to get paid as a participant in research studies.

Types of Paid Online Research Studies

A medical study involves a group of people within an age group, gender, race, ethnic group, or individuals with the same specific health issues.

Participating in these studies often involves answering a combination of interviews, tests, surveys, or experimentation to be able to answer questions on how to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure health disorders and diseases.

Aside from paid medical studies, market research makes use of paid online research to find out what customers want or need from various products and companies.

The cool thing about paid online research studies available today is that even if you are not a part of the target audience, you can still participate in the study in another capacity.

Online research studies can be either quantitative or qualitative.

Quantitative studies are the ones with static, pre-planned answers. A questionnaire with multiple-choice answers is a good example of this study. It is made as such so that the researcher can easily analyze the results.

Qualitative studies are a bit more complex since they involve open-ended answers.

However, this type of study ends up with better data. Focus groups and interviews are both methods used in qualitative studies.

How Much Can You Earn from Paid Research Studies?

Imagine earning up to $1,000 just for sharing your opinion, review of a product, or thoughts about a particular experience without even stepping out of the house.

You don’t even have to spend a cent to participate in these research studies.

Most of the time, you’d only have to be at least 18 years old and currently live in the US.

Even when you’re below 18 years old, researchers sometimes allow you to participate as long as you had a waiver from your parent or legal guardian.

The amount you earn from joining research studies depend on the following:

• Method of research — Did you join a focus group? Answered a lengthy interview? Filled out a survey form?
• Length of study — Some interviews only take an hour and earn you $150. Some focus groups could take several sessions and end only after several weeks.
• Type of payment — Not all companies pay cash. Some use PayPal, while others prefer checks, gift cards, prepaid cards, and so on.

Quick surveys can be as little as $10 and high as $100.

Focus group sessions range between $50 and $500 per session.

Interviews can earn you somewhere from $50 to $400 for an hour of your time.

Simply put, the amount you’ll be paid will vary from study to study.

Join These to Start Making Money Today!

Before digging into the list below, I suggest you sign up for the 3 best focus group/market research companies.

Anyone can participate and you will be invited to take part in research studies, focus groups, and product testing opportunities.

These companies pay in cash and offer cash signup bonuses to get you started.

• SurveyJunkie - Get paid CASH to share your thoughts on some of the world's biggest brands.
• Branded Surveys - Work directly with companies like Nike, Samsung, Amazon, and Disney to improve their product lines.

On to the list!

35 Ways to Get Paid for Research Studies Online

The following universities have year-long research studies in a wide range of topics.

1. Northwestern University Department of Psychology

Earn from $10 to $40 an hour if you participate in one of the school’s online studies.

The studies change regularly and vary widely from topics such as phone usage, changes in thoughts and feelings, Artificial Intelligence,  sleeping patterns, psychosis, aging, and even products like hearing aids.

2. Harvard University Psychology Study Pool

Join Harvard’s Psychology Study Pool and earn from $10 to $25 an hour, paid via gift cards.

The online studies are available year-round for both Harvard students and guests.

3. Carnegie Mellon University

If you’re at least 18 years old, can read and speak English, and have never joined any research studies at the Center for Behavioral and Decision Research at Carnegie Mellon, you can sign up for their paid online research studies.

Topics range from personal beliefs, attitudes, decision-making, human judgment, interpersonal perceptions, and group performance, among others.

You’ll earn $8 an hour, paid in gift cards. Each study takes anywhere from 5 and 20 minutes.

Paid participants are needed for in-person studies in labs on campus, but may sometimes be able to participate online on a home computer.

Note that only students are accepted (ID will be requested).

4. Center for Decision Sciences Columbia Business School

For participating in an online survey or study, you can earn $16 an hour, as long as you’re 18+ years old and have a PayPal or Amazon.com account to receive payments.

No need to be a student at Columbia Business School, but you need to register in the CDS Virtual Lab Online Panel.

5. MIT Behavioral Research Lab

There are in-person and paid online research studies available at MIT.

Payment amounts vary from study to study, but participants usually earn $11 to $20 per hour for online studies.

Anyone aged 18 or older, residing in the United States, and proficient in spoken and written English can join the BRL participant pool.

Membership is open to all; you don’t need any association with MIT to participate. Other requirements may be needed for studies requiring specific respondents.

6. University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business

As long as you’re a current Smith student (and eligible for certain studies), you can get paid for research studies online here.

Make sure you create an account, sign up for the studies that you want to participate in, and get paid once you fulfill your role.

7. Purdue University

You can find a lot of paid online studies here.

Currently, they have studies on Parkinson’s disease (and other neurodegenerative diseases), flavored water, biosensors, mushroom nutrition, linguistics, cancer, and so on.

Participants are paid somewhere between $10 and $500.

What’s great about Purdue University is that the studies are varied and open to the public.

8. Stanford Graduate School of Business

You’ll be paid up to $25 an hour for online research studies, but you’d have to be eligible and complete a prescreen form.

You also can’t participate in the same study more than once.

9. UCLA Anderson School of Management

The behavioral lab has some paid online studies, if you’re interested in topics like consumer behavior, organizational behavior, judgment, and other similar topics.

Most studies here pay from $10 to $20 an hour.

They also have in-lab and in-person studies.

10. Boston University Behavioral Lab

If you’re interested in human behavior and is willing to participate in online studies, try to join if you’re eligible.

These studies pay between $10 and $20 an hour.

The studies from Boston University’s Behavioral Lab is open to both BU students and the general public.

11. University of Maryland Department of Psychology

You need to create an account at the SONA System website to see available research studies.

Each of the studies have different eligibilities and payment.

12. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

This college holds a wide range of research studies revolving MRI research, human brain, behavior, and so on.

There are studies exclusively for seniors, and those that are for teens.

There are two ways to volunteer for these studies:

• Join the CB3 Research Participant Volunteer Registry (and wait for them to e-mail you)
• Pick the study and contact researchers directly.

Pay can go as high as $80 per study.

13. American University Psychology Department

Topics vary widely, but they are related to psychology and human behavior.

You can earn up to $20 an hour for just filling out a form as a smoker’s first-hand experience during stressful situations.

14. Respondent.IO

This next one isn’t a university, but it’s a comprehensive resource if you plan to participate in numerous market research and other online studies.

Pay ranges from $25 to $200.

Eligibility requirements vary between studies.

Make sure to check details and never pay to join a focus group or study.

15. Brand Institute

Want to be at the forefront of the pharmaceutical industry?

Join consumer market research panel groups by signing up with Brand Institute.

16. mindswarms

It’s sort of like an interview since you are required to answer ten questions with a video.

In exchange for your thoughts, you’ll be paid $50.

Earn somewhere between $50 and $250 by participating in healthcare or consumer market research studies.

18. Probe Market Research

The company pays people for online, phone or group interviews about their clients’ products, services, ads, or other campaigns.

Payment goes as high as $400.

19. Penn State University

(Quick shoutout to my Alma Mater… We Are!)

… and they are seeking just about anyone who’s alive to participate in a research study. With over 200 current open studies, odds are, you’ll qualify for something they have available.

Keep an eye out for “Total Compensation” to see just what the study pays.

20. User Interviews

Get paid for your feedback on real projects.

Create an account by filling up a form and wait for project invitations if you’re eligible.

There are online and in-phone interviews available.

21. Yale School of Management

If you live anywhere near Yale campus, be sure to sign up for their newsletter as they frequently put out requests for both in person and paid online research studies.

You will be paid, in cash, at the completion of your study.

They also have a Facebook group that announces when new studies are available to participate in.

22. Georgetown University Department of Psychology

Georgetown’s Department of Psychology is regularly looking for both students and non-students alike to participate in studies.

Average pay will run you about $10 per hour, so it can be some nice change to pick up in your spare time.

Their research includes personality, memory, and impulse control tests to name a few.

23. UCLA Semel Institute

UCLA offers both in-person and online research studies to check out.

They have a massive list of open opportunities for you to click through. The highest paying ones often need you to come into their offices for scans and interviews, but there are a lot of remote positions available too.

24. PingPong

Web designers and developers working on websites and applications value the input of real-life users and are willing to pay for these users’ opinions and insights

You can get paid anywhere from €15 to €40 per hour and even up to €100 for special projects.

Payment is credited through Transferwise or PayPal.

25. American Consumer Opinion

Yet another survey site, American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) pays you for your answers to their survey questions.

You can even get paid up to $100 if you fit a certain demographic and able to participate in special projects.

Research studies on this site may not be constantly available, though. It’s best to check back frequently.

26. Recruit and Field

Recruit and Field is a market research company that hosts paid online research studies all around the US and even in international locations.

They look for participants from any gender and age for their studies, including professionals and medical professionals (doctor, nurse, lab technician).

They normally pay via PayPal but also offer Amazon or digital gift cards.

The pay ranges from $100 to $275 for phone interviews, online surveys, and sometimes in-home product testing.

27. Focus Group

Focus Group is an aptly named online community comprised of participants interested in sharing opinions and views on popular products and brands through in-person, telephone, or online surveys.

The pay ranges from $75 to $200, and specialized health studies may pay more.

28. 20|20 Panel

Since 1986, 20|20 Panel has been recruiting participants to share their opinion on various companies.

They specialize in qualitative market research, which is achieved via in-person or online roundtable discussions. You can get paid from $50 to $350 to participate in these discussions.

They also send out quick surveys for which you can get paid smaller amounts (from $1 to $10).

29. FindFocusGroups

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a directory of all the paid research opportunities in the country?

FindFocusGroups is probably the closest one, as it lists more than 75,000 verified and legitimate focus groups in the country.

It’s quite simple to search by city and state, and check the information for details on whether the discussions are online or in-person.

It’s difficult to know how much the average payment would be, but upon browsing the first few studies on the homepage, they range from $50 to $300.

30. SIS International

SIS International conducts focus group discussions in cities all over the US and globally and collects consumer feedback on anything from appliances, skincare products, gadgets, and just about anything.

Rates range from $25 to $200 for 2 to 3 hours of your time.

31.  Apex Focus Group

Apex Focus Group connects regular people like you and me with researchers, who will pay for participants to join clinical research trials, phone interviews and focus groups.

As a participant at any Apex Focus Group study, you can be paid up to $750 a week.

Online and in-person studies are available.

32.  Fieldwork

If you live near New Jersey, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, or Minneapolis, you can participate in current Fieldwork research studies.

Most of the paid focus groups are face-to-face (but online are sometimes available).

Each study lasts about 1 or 2 hours. Participants earn between $75 and $100 for their time.

33. Rare Patient Voice

This company mostly looks for participants who have rare diseases and medical conditions. As such, only eligible people can benefit from the studies.

However, anyone who qualifies will receive $120/hour.

You can share your views via online surveys, clinical trials, or web-assisted phone interviews.

34. ClinicalTrials.gov

The federal government continually seeks individuals willing to participate in clinical trials testing different medications and treatments.

Studies are often conducted by the National Institutes of Health.

You can check out a list of ongoing clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov.

Unlike other paid online research studies on this list, DScout is an app you can download.

You need to register to become a “scout” and participate in research “missions,” which will earn you money after completion.

DScout studies are usually 1-on-1 interviews or video responses, so you’d have to be comfortable in front of the camera.

Missions pay from $50 to $100, each lasting about 30 minutes.

Can I turn these Paid Online Research Studies into a Full-Time Job?

While paid online studies are highly interesting and offer legitimate side cash, this gig cannot replicate the steady income and benefits you can get with a full-time job.

You’d have to consider that many research studies:

• have eligibility requirements (which means you’re not guaranteed a slot every time)
• cannot be joined twice (once you’ve participated in a specific study, you can’t do a repeat)
• have varying payments (there’s no stability in such income)

I do think it’s a legitimate side gig if you’re in between jobs or have a lot of free time on your hands.

You can also get paid answering surveys , joining focus groups , or testing products .

READ THIS NEXT: The EASIEST ways to make money online. See how.

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The Hinge Research Institute Launches 10th Annual High Growth Study

Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of our landmark 10th Annual High Growth Study. For a decade, this comprehensive research has equipped professional services leaders and marketers with critical insights into the fastest growing firms in their industries—empowering them to make better decisions and drive higher growth and profits.

Any professional services firm may participate in this year’s study—whether or not you are a high-growth firm. To take the survey (it should take about 15 minutes), click here .

A Legacy of Insights 10 Years in the Making

Year after year, the High Growth Study has illuminated the path to exceptional performance across the professional services. From emerging trends to the impact of individual marketing techniques, this research covers a lot of territory. That’s why it has become an indispensable tool for firms that want to thrive in an evolving marketplace.

This year’s study marks a special milestone, celebrating our first decade dedicated to understanding the dynamics of high growth. 

This year’s High Growth Study will delve into a wide range of critical topics, including:

• The evolving challenges and opportunities facing professional services firms
• The marketing budgets and strategies of high-growth firms
• The most effective marketing techniques for driving growth
• The impact of emerging technologies like AI
• Practical takeaways to help firms accelerate growth and profitability

Your Participation Matters

In return, you will receive early access to the executive summary and a complimentary copy of the full industry report upon its release in early 2025.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of something truly special. Take the survey today and help shape the future of professional services.

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9 Best Marketing Research Methods to Know Your Buyer Better [+ Examples]

Published: August 08, 2024

One of the most underrated skills you can have as a marketer is marketing research — which is great news for this unapologetic cyber sleuth.

From brand design and product development to buyer personas and competitive analysis, I’ve researched a number of initiatives in my decade-long marketing career.

And let me tell you: having the right marketing research methods in your toolbox is a must.

Market research is the secret to crafting a strategy that will truly help you accomplish your goals. The good news is there is no shortage of options.

How to Choose a Marketing Research Method

Thanks to the Internet, we have more marketing research (or market research) methods at our fingertips than ever, but they’re not all created equal. Let’s quickly go over how to choose the right one.

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5 Research and Planning Templates + a Free Guide on How to Use Them in Your Market Research

• SWOT Analysis Template
• Survey Template
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1. Identify your objective.

What are you researching? Do you need to understand your audience better? How about your competition? Or maybe you want to know more about your customer’s feelings about a specific product.

Before starting your research, take some time to identify precisely what you’re looking for. This could be a goal you want to reach, a problem you need to solve, or a question you need to answer.

For example, an objective may be as foundational as understanding your ideal customer better to create new buyer personas for your marketing agency (pause for flashbacks to my former life).

Or if you’re an organic sode company, it could be trying to learn what flavors people are craving.

2. Determine what type of data and research you need.

Next, determine what data type will best answer the problems or questions you identified. There are primarily two types: qualitative and quantitative. (Sound familiar, right?)

• Qualitative Data is non-numerical information, like subjective characteristics, opinions, and feelings. It’s pretty open to interpretation and descriptive, but it’s also harder to measure. This type of data can be collected through interviews, observations, and open-ended questions.
• Quantitative Data , on the other hand, is numerical information, such as quantities, sizes, amounts, or percentages. It’s measurable and usually pretty hard to argue with, coming from a reputable source. It can be derived through surveys, experiments, or statistical analysis.

Understanding the differences between qualitative and quantitative data will help you pinpoint which research methods will yield the desired results.

For instance, thinking of our earlier examples, qualitative data would usually be best suited for buyer personas, while quantitative data is more useful for the soda flavors.

However, truth be told, the two really work together.

Qualitative conclusions are usually drawn from quantitative, numerical data. So, you’ll likely need both to get the complete picture of your subject.

For example, if your quantitative data says 70% of people are Team Black and only 30% are Team Green — Shout out to my fellow House of the Dragon fans — your qualitative data will say people support Black more than Green.

(As they should.)

Primary Research vs Secondary Research

You’ll also want to understand the difference between primary and secondary research.

Primary research involves collecting new, original data directly from the source (say, your target market). In other words, it’s information gathered first-hand that wasn’t found elsewhere.

Some examples include conducting experiments, surveys, interviews, observations, or focus groups.

Meanwhile, secondary research is the analysis and interpretation of existing data collected from others. Think of this like what we used to do for school projects: We would read a book, scour the internet, or pull insights from others to work from.

So, which is better?

Personally, I say any research is good research, but if you have the time and resources, primary research is hard to top. With it, you don’t have to worry about your source's credibility or how relevant it is to your specific objective.

You are in full control and best equipped to get the reliable information you need.

3. Put it all together.

Once you know your objective and what kind of data you want, you’re ready to select your marketing research method.

For instance, let’s say you’re a restaurant trying to see how attendees felt about the Speed Dating event you hosted last week.

You shouldn’t run a field experiment or download a third-party report on speed dating events; those would be useless to you. You need to conduct a survey that allows you to ask pointed questions about the event.

This would yield both qualitative and quantitative data you can use to improve and bring together more love birds next time around.

Best Market Research Methods for 2024

Now that you know what you’re looking for in a marketing research method, let’s dive into the best options.

Note: According to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Marketing report, understanding customers and their needs is one of the biggest challenges facing marketers today. The options we discuss are great consumer research methodologies , but they can also be used for other areas.

Primary Research

1. interviews.

Interviews are a form of primary research where you ask people specific questions about a topic or theme. They typically deliver qualitative information.

I’ve conducted many interviews for marketing purposes, but I’ve also done many for journalistic purposes, like this profile on comedian Zarna Garg . There’s no better way to gather candid, open-ended insights in my book, but that doesn’t mean they’re a cure-all.

What I like: Real-time conversations allow you to ask different questions if you’re not getting the information you need. They also push interviewees to respond quickly, which can result in more authentic answers.

What I dislike: They can be time-consuming and harder to measure (read: get quantitative data) unless you ask pointed yes or no questions.

Best for: Creating buyer personas or getting feedback on customer experience, a product, or content.

2. Focus Groups

Focus groups are similar to conducting interviews but on a larger scale.

In marketing and business, this typically means getting a small group together in a room (or Zoom), asking them questions about various topics you are researching. You record and/or observe their responses to then take action.

They are ideal for collecting long-form, open-ended feedback, and subjective opinions.

One well-known focus group you may remember was run by Domino’s Pizza in 2009 .

After poor ratings and dropping over $100 million in revenue, the brand conducted focus groups with real customers to learn where they could have done better.

It was met with comments like “worst excuse for pizza I’ve ever had” and “the crust tastes like cardboard.” But rather than running from the tough love, it took the hit and completely overhauled its recipes.

The team admitted their missteps and returned to the market with better food and a campaign detailing their “Pizza Turn Around.”

The result? The brand won a ton of praise for its willingness to take feedback, efforts to do right by its consumers, and clever campaign. But, most importantly, revenue for Domino’s rose by 14.3% over the previous year.

The brand continues to conduct focus groups and share real footage from them in its promotion:

What I like: Similar to interviewing, you can dig deeper and pivot as needed due to the real-time nature. They’re personal and detailed.

What I dislike: Once again, they can be time-consuming and make it difficult to get quantitative data. There is also a chance some participants may overshadow others.

Best for: Product research or development

Pro tip: Need help planning your focus group? Our free Market Research Kit includes a handy template to start organizing your thoughts in addition to a SWOT Analysis Template, Survey Template, Focus Group Template, Presentation Template, Five Forces Industry Analysis Template, and an instructional guide for all of them. Download yours here now.

3. Surveys or Polls

Surveys are a form of primary research where individuals are asked a collection of questions. It can take many different forms.

They could be in person, over the phone or video call, by email, via an online form, or even on social media. Questions can be also open-ended or closed to deliver qualitative or quantitative information.

A great example of a close-ended survey is HubSpot’s annual State of Marketing .

In the State of Marketing, HubSpot asks marketing professionals from around the world a series of multiple-choice questions to gather data on the state of the marketing industry and to identify trends.

The survey covers various topics related to marketing strategies, tactics, tools, and challenges that marketers face. It aims to provide benchmarks to help you make informed decisions about your marketing.

It also helps us understand where our customers’ heads are so we can better evolve our products to meet their needs.

Apple is no stranger to surveys, either.

In 2011, the tech giant launched Apple Customer Pulse , which it described as “an online community of Apple product users who provide input on a variety of subjects and issues concerning Apple.”

"For example, we did a large voluntary survey of email subscribers and top readers a few years back."

While these readers gave us a long list of topics, formats, or content types they wanted to see, they sometimes engaged more with content types they didn’t select or favor as much on the surveys when we ran follow-up ‘in the wild’ tests, like A/B testing.”  

Pepsi saw similar results when it ran its iconic field experiment, “The Pepsi Challenge” for the first time in 1975.

The beverage brand set up tables at malls, beaches, and other public locations and ran a blindfolded taste test. Shoppers were given two cups of soda, one containing Pepsi, the other Coca-Cola (Pepsi’s biggest competitor). They were then asked to taste both and report which they preferred.

People overwhelmingly preferred Pepsi, and the brand has repeated the experiment multiple times over the years to the same results.

What I like: It yields qualitative and quantitative data and can make for engaging marketing content, especially in the digital age.

What I dislike: It can be very time-consuming. And, if you’re not careful, there is a high risk for scientific error.

Best for: Product testing and competitive analysis

Pro tip:  " Don’t make critical business decisions off of just one data set," advises Pamela Bump. "Use the survey, competitive intelligence, external data, or even a focus group to give you one layer of ideas or a short-list for improvements or solutions to test. Then gather your own fresh data to test in an experiment or trial and better refine your data-backed strategy."

Secondary Research

8. public domain or third-party research.

While original data is always a plus, there are plenty of external resources you can access online and even at a library when you’re limited on time or resources.

Some reputable resources you can use include:

• Pew Research Center
• McKinley Global Institute
• Relevant Global or Government Organizations (i.e United Nations or NASA)

It’s also smart to turn to reputable organizations that are specific to your industry or field. For instance, if you’re a gardening or landscaping company, you may want to pull statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

If you’re a digital marketing agency, you could look to Google Research or HubSpot Research . (Hey, I know them!)

What I like: You can save time on gathering data and spend more time on analyzing. You can also rest assured the data is from a source you trust.

What I dislike: You may not find data specific to your needs.

Best for: Companies under a time or resource crunch, adding factual support to content

Pro tip: Fellow HubSpotter Iskiev suggests using third-party data to inspire your original research. “Sometimes, I use public third-party data for ideas and inspiration. Once I have written my survey and gotten all my ideas out, I read similar reports from other sources and usually end up with useful additions for my own research.”

9. Buy Research

If the data you need isn’t available publicly and you can’t do your own market research, you can also buy some. There are many reputable analytics companies that offer subscriptions to access their data. Statista is one of my favorites, but there’s also Euromonitor , Mintel , and BCC Research .

What I like: Same as public domain research

What I dislike: You may not find data specific to your needs. It also adds to your expenses.

Best for: Companies under a time or resource crunch or adding factual support to content

Which marketing research method should you use?

You’re not going to like my answer, but “it depends.” The best marketing research method for you will depend on your objective and data needs, but also your budget and timeline.

My advice? Aim for a mix of quantitative and qualitative data. If you can do your own original research, awesome. But if not, don’t beat yourself up. Lean into free or low-cost tools . You could do primary research for qualitative data, then tap public sources for quantitative data. Or perhaps the reverse is best for you.

Whatever your marketing research method mix, take the time to think it through and ensure you’re left with information that will truly help you achieve your goals.

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More From Forbes

The power of combining real and synthetic respondents in market research.

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Abigail Stuart, with 20+ years in brand and market research, drives innovation and champions AI. Connect on LinkedIn .

In the 2013 science fiction film Her , set in the near future, a lonely writer named Theodore develops an unexpected and profound relationship with an artificially intelligent virtual assistant designed to meet his every need. Theodore is captivated by her ability to learn, adapt and exhibit human-like psychological growth. This portrayal of human-AI interaction is no longer confined to science fiction. The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning has led to the creation and use of synthetic humans —digital beings engineered through artificial intelligence to resemble and behave like humans in appearance, personality and intelligence.

This evolution in AI technology extends beyond personal relationships and into various industries, including market research. Just as synthetic humans can mimic real people in terms of interaction and behavior, synthetic respondents have the potential to revolutionize the field of market research. These virtual beings can simulate the opinions, preferences and responses of real people, providing new opportunities and insights for researchers.

However, synthetic respondents are not without controversy and are being hotly debated within the market research community. Examining the comments left on LinkedIn posts about these innovations reveals a clear divide in opinions. Proponents are enthusiastic about the potential for this innovation to deliver cost-effective and efficient ways of gathering customer feedback. Critics argue about the authenticity and reliability of data derived from synthetic respondents, and there is a growing concern among market research professionals that synthetic respondents might overshadow or even replace traditional methodologies. A recent article published by Raconteur summarizes some of the key points.

These perspectives both miss the broader point: Synthetic respondents should be seen as complementary tools that enhance and augment real respondents, not as replacements. Synthetic data is generated based on existing patterns and trends, meaning it cannot capture novel behaviors or emerging trends that have not been previously recorded. Furthermore, synthetic data, no matter how well-crafted, lacks the nuanced insights that come from engaging with real people.

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Today’s nyt mini crossword clues and answers for thursday, august 15, stranger things season 5 leak—hacker claims new episodes release anytime now, the reality: complementary strengths.

To fully harness the power of synthetic respondents, they should always be integrated with traditional market research. Here’s why:

Learning Loops

One of the significant advantages of synthetic respondents is their ability to expedite the research process through the creation of learning loops. When used alongside real respondents, synthetic respondents help accelerate the research timeline by providing initial insights that can be rapidly tested and refined. This iterative process, combining synthetic and real data, allows researchers to learn and adapt quickly, ensuring that the depth and reliability of insights are not compromised but enhanced, ultimately leading to faster and more robust conclusions.

Data Diversity

Much of today's market research is conducted online with samples drawn from panels of market research respondents, often leading to a natural bias in the sample. Synthetic respondents offer the opportunity to reach niche audiences and uncover opinions from more diverse populations. By simulating a wide range of demographic and psychographic profiles, synthetic respondents help mitigate sample bias and provide insights from a broader spectrum of perspectives, enriching the overall quality and inclusiveness of your research.

Of course, synthetic respondents are no substitute for engaging with real people in niche audiences and diverse populations. Synthetic data can replicate existing opinions and behaviors, but it is less effective at predicting new behaviors. Therefore, it is essential to validate synthetic responses with the views and opinions of real individuals. However, this can often be accomplished with a smaller sample size than what is typically required in traditional market research.

No Respondent Fatigue

Synthetic respondents have limitless capacity to answer your questions. Unlike real respondents, synthetic respondents never experience fatigue or boredom, allowing you to explore a wider array of queries and test a multitude of ideas. This opens up the opportunity to gather feedback on hundreds of concepts without worrying about respondent fatigue.

Case Study: Exploring The Patient Journey Of Those With A Rare Disease

To illustrate the power of combining synthetic and real respondents, consider a recent project we conducted for a pharmaceutical client. Gathering insights from patients suffering from rare diseases can be particularly challenging, often requiring weeks or months and considerable effort and cost to speak to a handful of patients. When one of our pharma clients tasked us with conducting patient journey research in acute myeloid leukemia (a rare cancer affecting a small percentage of the U.S. population), we needed to be creative.

We initiated the research using ChatGPT, creating patient personas that mirrored the characteristics of real patients. Through in-depth simulated interviews, we explored their experiences and key milestones along their journey. These simulations allowed our client to quickly gain a broad understanding of patient needs, pain points and desires.

Next, we focused on the most relevant areas identified in the simulations and conducted interviews with real patients to validate the insights and enrich the findings with their unique experiences and detailed stories. This approach provided a comprehensive and nuanced view of the patient journey, blending the efficiency of synthetic data with the depth of real patient insights.

Let’s stop pitting synthetic respondents against insights gleaned from real people. In reality, they can be incredibly powerful when used together. AI simulations are not replacements for the continuous discovery of insights from real individuals; rather, they are tools to enhance creativity and guide human research.

We've found that combining AI-powered simulations with focused human discovery leads to sharper insights and quicker iterations. Synthetic respondents can accelerate the initial stages of research, provide broad and diverse perspectives, and help formulate hypotheses. When these synthetic insights are validated and enriched with real-world data from actual respondents, the results are both comprehensive and nuanced.

The greatest successes will come to those who can thoughtfully integrate human and machine intelligence. It's not about picking one or the other but harnessing the strengths of both. By leveraging the power of synthetic respondents alongside traditional research methods, we can achieve a deeper, more holistic understanding of our subjects, ultimately driving more effective and impactful strategies in market research.

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ADHD symptoms in autistic children linked to neighborhood conditions

Study finds poverty, lack of services may play a role.

Autistic youth who were born in underserved neighborhoods are more likely to have greater attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms than those born in communities with more resources. This is one finding of a new study led by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute .  

This is the first time researchers have investigated how neighborhood factors are associated with ADHD in autistic and non-autistic children. The study provides new insights into mental health conditions and has the potential to inform public policy changes to improve health equity.

It was published in the journal JCPP Advances.

“We found that some neighborhood factors are strongly related to ADHD symptoms in autistic children,” said Catrina Calub, the first author on the paper. Calub is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Julie Schweitzer , a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the MIND Institute.

“In this study, we didn't find this effect in typically developing kids or in kids with other developmental disabilities, only in the autistic children. It suggests that when autistic kids live in neighborhoods with fewer resources, they tend to have more pronounced ADHD symptoms,” Calub said.

We found that some neighborhood factors are strongly related to ADHD symptoms in autistic children … It suggests that when autistic kids live in neighborhoods with fewer resources, they tend to have more pronounced ADHD symptoms.” — Catrina Calub, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

ADHD symptoms can include higher rates of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.It is associated with:

• Challenges in school performance and relationships with friends
• Lower self-esteem and greater risk for anxiety and depression
• Higher potential for substance use disorders and accidents
• Emotional dysregulation and conduct problems

Study expands findings from long-term research

The researchers used data from two studies: the decades-long Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment ( CHARGE ) study led by Irva Hertz-Picciotto at the MIND Institute and the ReCHARGE follow-up project.

CHARGE and ReCHARGE assess how genetics, environment and other factors affect development from early childhood (2–5 years) through adolescence (8-20 years).  

The team looked at 246 autistic children, 85 with developmental delays (without autism), and 193 who were neurotypical. Then, they applied the Child Opportunity Index, which uses census data to track over 30 neighborhood traits. These traits include socioeconomics, green space, single-parent households and concentration of early childhood education centers.

The index encompasses three domains: education, health and environment, and social and economic resources. Higher scores are linked to better childhood health. Of the three domains, the education and social and economic resources scores were most strongly related to ADHD symptoms.

The analysis showed the Child Opportunity Index scores at birth were a strong predictor for ADHD symptoms in adolescence in the autistic children but not in the other groups. Calub noted that the finding was unexpected.

“These results are quite concerning,” Calub said. “Those with both autism and ADHD are already more likely to have additional challenges — behaviorally, cognitively, emotionally and socially. Being born in a low-income neighborhood puts them at an even greater disadvantage. This just adds to the evidence that more resources are needed for underserved areas and specifically for those who have conditions like autism.”

ADHD is highly prevalent in the general population and is common in autistic youth. If we can find ways to increase resources in these neighborhoods, we have the potential to improve academic, social, mental and physical health outcomes, particularly for autistic youth, and also decrease long-term economic costs.” — Julie Schweitzer, professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

The need for a larger, more diverse sample

Calub pointed out that more research is needed to determine if the results would apply to a larger group.

"It will be important for future studies to be larger and more diverse. That should help us learn whether neighborhood conditions might also influence ADHD symptoms in other groups such as youth without autism, or in Black, Asian and Native American individuals, who were under-represented in our sample," Calub added.

These findings also offer clues for how to target preventive strategies to reduce the risk of increased ADHD symptoms, noted Schweitzer, who was also a co-author on the study.

“ADHD is highly prevalent in the general population and is common in autistic youth. If we can find ways to increase resources in these neighborhoods, we have the potential to improve academic, social, mental and physical health outcomes, particularly for autistic youth, and also decrease long-term economic costs,” Schweitzer explained.

Calub and Schweizer believe the study’s findings should encourage policymakers to provide more resources for underserved communities. In addition, they hope including the Child Opportunity Index and other neighborhood metrics could provide new insights into future studies to inform policy.

Co-authors on the study include Irva Hertz-Picciotto and Deborah Bennett , both in the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis. Read the full study.

The UC Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento, Calif. is a unique, interdisciplinary research, clinical, and education center committed to deepening scientific understanding of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. It is a highly collaborative center, bringing together families, researchers, clinicians, community leaders and volunteers with the common goal of developing more personalized, equitable, and scientifically proven systems of support and intervention. The institute has major research efforts in autism, fragile X syndrome, chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Down syndrome. More information about the institute and its Distinguished Lecturer Series, including previous presentations in this series, is available on the Web at mindinstitute.ucdavis.edu .

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